Freedom Fighters of Mobius
by Antipode
Summary: .NEORDX. This project has been put to rest and will not be completed.
1. 3235, Day 297 : Dreams

main chapter finished 9 /24 /03;  
reformatted: 12 /14 /03;  
revised/reformatted: 08 /04 /04

* * *

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**  
_Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux_

* * *

Year 3235, Day 297  
Dreams

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega and DiC Productions, used without permission, but protected by applicable copyright laws... So there.

* * *

_Dear friend..._  
  
The room was dark, devoid of any detail, but still it was a room. Tight and confining, yet the ceiling could not be seen, the walls could not be touched. He stood in that room, as if watching through glass a parade of images from a life that seemed an eternity ago.  
  
A fleet of warships heading for the Royal Palace...  
  
Squads of soldiers storming into the throne room...  
  
Running through the woods, from some unseen threat...  
  
_Dear friend..._  
  
Through black fog a figure was visible, a large and menacing figure, hunched over the controls of some unholy contraption. He was beckoning through the mist, not to him but to someone elsewhere, someone he could not see.  
  
_The time has come..._  
  
Another shape appeared, smaller, but elevated, as if on a platform. He pressed his hands against the invisible box, knowing this new person has in grave danger, and he could save him, if only...  
  
_Time has come..._  
  
The fog lifted for a moment, and he instantly recognized the first figure. He lifted his head from above the console, turning to stare directly into his eyes. He looked back into his face, at his black, lifeless eyes, heavy brow, and thick mustache. _Robotnik._  
  
Robotnik turned back to his work, at the man standing above him on the platform. His mechanical hand reached for the lever, pulling it down to its position in a span of time that seemed as hours. The man looked down at Robotnik, then up at him. There was a fear in his eyes, a pleading that somehow in these last moments he may be saved, but such a chance did not come. The platform began to glow, that light reached up to grab at him, to take him from sight. He hung his head, in shame and disappointment. _You couldn't do it, Sonie... Not this time..._  
  
_Never..._  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"Uncle Chuck!" Sonic screamed, jumping bolt upright in his bed, forehead drenched in a cold sweat. He looked around him into the darkness of his hut, realizing in a moment that it was just a dream. A terrible, horrible dream.  
  
The hedgehog swung his feet over the bed, resting his head into his hands and hoping he hadn't awakened any of the others. Too often he had that dream, those feelings of helplessness, but it would be pointless to dwell on them. It had happened more than ten years ago, and nothing he could do today could reverse those events. Sonic threw himself back onto his bed. He hated feeling helpless. It sucked.  
  
Sonic reached out for the picture on his bedside table, one that it seemed like he looked at every day. It was hard to see in the moonlight, but he had it memorized anyway. The picture had been taken long ago, before the occupation that changed everything, and showed him at five years old sitting on his Uncle Chuck's lap, with his dog Muttski panting contentedly beside. It was the last memory he had from the simpler times, and he truly cherished it. Sonic looked at it for a long while, then placed it reverently back on the table, got up, and crossed the room to the window.  
  
There was a full moon out that night, and the trees and surrounding foliage seemed to glow with its light. Across the way he could faintly see the outline of some of the other huts in the Knothole compound, all quiet and silent in the time of sleep. A slight breeze blew through the window, playing with Sonic's spines and tickling the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the crickets around his hut. He needed to take a walk to clear his head, he decided. The fresh air would do him some good.  
  
Sonic pulled on a t-shirt and some shorts, then made his way to the commons area, finding a seat at a chair around one of the tables. He thought about lighting the lamp sitting there, but ruled against it. Instead, he leaned back in the chair and let out a heavy sigh.  
  
"Sonic? That you?"  
  
The hedgehog's eyes popped open and he looked around for the source of the voice. "Yeah, over here, Rote. What's up?"  
  
Rotor the Walrus appeared from around the corner, some manner of strange device in his hand, and a manipulative tool in the other. "What's the matter? Couldn't sleep?" Rotor was the camp's mechanical genius, highly skilled in all manner of technology, both standard and improvised, which played a key role in surviving in the Great Forest. He was dressed in baggy pants, a jacket that seemed bulging at the seams with all the devices jammed into it, and his trademark baseball cap, backward.  
  
"Naw, I just needed some fresh air, that's all," Sonic replied, waving him off. "What's that you're workin' on?"  
  
"Oh, this?" Rotor asked, holding up the device in his hand. "It's a birthday present for Tails."  
  
"Birthday present? You're kinda late, aren't you, Rote?" Tails' party was the next day -- no, Sonic corrected himself, later _that_ day.  
  
Rotor rubbed his neck with his free hand. "Yeah, well, that's why I'm up at two in the morning, heh heh."  
  
Sonic craned his neck to get a look at the device, which appeared to be a leather strap with two round pieces of glass attached on one side, along with a small panel armed with buttons. "What is that thing, anyway?"  
  
The techie held out the device so Sonic could see it better. "It's a pair of aviator goggles, for when Tails is out flying, he can look cool. It's also got infrared vision mode so, I don't know, he can see people coming."  
  
Sonic crossed his arms. "...So he can see 'bots comin', ya mean?"  
  
Rotor shrugged. "If it can help out the cause, as well as make the little guy happy, I'm all for it."  
  
He smirked. "Yeah, good idea, Rote."  
  
The walrus put the goggles away. "What'd you get him?"  
  
Sonic froze. With all the mission planning over the past week, we had completely forgotten his buddy's birthday! "Stupid, stupid..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"How could I forget my little bro's birthday?" he cried, throwing up his hands in frustration.  
  
"Uh, oh. Well, if you want, I got a whole mess o' stuff in my lab. Just come on over some time."  
  
Sonic sighed. "Maybe in the morning. I'm too tired to really do anything right now."  
  
"Okay, Sonic. But don't forget. Tails would be really disappointed if you forgot, you know."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"Sonic, Sonic! Wake up!"  
  
"Huh... wha?" Sonic's eyes half-opened, which hurt from the morning sunlight coming into the commons room. He realized that he had never gotten off the chair from the night before, and had fallen asleep at the table. He squinted against the glare, then shielded his eyes with a hand as he struggled back upright. "Is it... morning already?"  
  
"Yooouuuu bet it is, Sonic! And guess what day it is! Guess, guess, guess!"  
  
Sonic was now fully awake and could see the excitable young fox in a vest and denim shorts jumping up and down on the table he was formerly using as a pillow. He smiled. "I give up. What day is it, Tails?"  
  
Seven-year-old Miles "Tails" Prower plopped down on the table, his two bushy tails fanning out behind him. "You gotta guess..." he pouted, looking up at him, hands resting in his lap.  
  
"All right, all right," Sonic replied, pushing out of the chair and pacing back and forth in mock concentration. The cub swiveled his head to watch, enjoying the little games they played. "Is it... Harvest Day?"  
  
Tails giggled. "No, silly."  
  
He came up behind him. "Is it Festival?"  
  
"No! Sonic, you're not even tryin'!"  
  
Sonic rubbed his chin. "It couldn't be somebody's birthday, could it?"  
  
Tails jumped to his feet. "It's _my_ birthday, Sonic! Today's my birthday!"  
  
The hedgehog gave a look of mock surprise. "Ya don't say! Hey, little bro, you're gettin' older all the time! Didn't you just have a birthday?"  
  
Tails smirked. "Yeah, last year."  
  
Sonic yawned and stretched. "So, I guess we'll be havin' a party today, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, a big party! Aunt Sally and the other's are plannin' it right now!"  
  
He looked around. "Hey, where is everybody, anyway?"  
  
Tails pointed at a hut at the north end of the camp. "In the Meeting Hall. I'm not allowed in 'cuz 'it's a secret,'" He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, I should get over there then." He went over and gave Tails' hair a shake. "Happy birthday, little bro."  
  
"Thanks, Sonic."  
  
"See ya later!" he called out as he took off across the compound at full speed, which for Sonic was really fast. He reached the door to the hall in three seconds flat, and was able to hear the voices on the other side:  
  
"...Okay, Rotor, you collect all the presents-"  
  
"Will do, ma'am."  
  
"-Antoine and Felix are in charge of the decorations, and Bunnie, can you do the cake?"  
  
"You got it, Sally-girl."  
  
"Sonic will be the distraction to keep Tails out of the camp until everything's ready."  
  
It was at the mention of his name that Sonic made his entrance, bursting into the room and placing himself in a chair in the space of two seconds. At the front of the room, Princess Sally Acorn looked up from her clipboard to the new, late arrival. "Well, well. Speak of the devil and in he comes."  
  
"Hiya, Sal. What'd I miss?"  
  
The squirrel threw up her arms. "Oh, pretty much everything pertaining to Tails' party. The only thing you have to do is-"  
  
"Distraction, huh? No prob. Just leave to the old hedgehog. He knows where the little guy will be kept _busy_ for a while."  
  
Sally planted her hands on her hips and gave Sonic "the look." "Now, Sonic, I don't want any funny business out of you. Just try, _try_, to stay responsible about this. Please?"  
  
Sonic gave a look of indignation. "Li'l ol' me? When have I ever been not responsible?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Let me count the ways...  
  
"Anyway, that's about all that's needed for the party," Sally continued, putting the clipboard away and pulling out her palmtop computer, Nicole. "We also have something else that needs planning. Nicole, please display diagram 12-A."  
  
[Processing, Sally.]  
  
The front of the device shone a blue hue, and an image wavered into being before it. It was a structure, obviously a large one, which would have been straight and square if not for the multitude of antennas and receivers sticking out of the roof, and various points on the upper walls, all pointed to the sky.  
  
"This is Robotnik's information depository," Sally informed, arms crossed. "Almost all information held in a computer bank on Robotropolis or transmitted through radio has a backup copy here. We also hope that his confidential files are here, too, because that's what we're going to need."  
  
Sonic was skeptical. "What's the op, Sal?"  
  
"We're going to sneak a team in to try and download all the information Robotnik has on the Roboticizor. Even if it's encrypted we have a better chance of decoding it here than in enemy territory."  
  
"Are we doing this before or after the little guy's party?" Rotor asked.  
  
Sally sighed. "Many of you may be disappointed to hear, but I think it should be done before the party." Then, amid moans of dissent: "The celebration will be that much more enjoyable after a successful mission."  
  
Sonic made a fist. "Well, I'm game. When do we go?"  
  
"What makes you so sure you're going, Sonic?"  
  
"Oh, come on, Sal... 'Sneak a team in,' 'enemy territory.' That's practically my job description."  
  
"That's taken deathly out of context, but you're right. A four-person team: Sonic, Antoine, Bunnie, and myself. The rest of you, do your own parts to make sure this is the best party Tails has ever had."  
  
The majority of freedom fighters left to dispel over the compound, leaving the four members of the team left in the room. As the door closed, Sally queried Nicole for a simple diagram of Robotnik's base, the city of Robotropolis. It appeared, and she motioned at the eastern edge of the map. "This would be the best way in, but we'll have to get through Robotnik's perimeter security. After that, though, it's only a kilometer or so to the depository. Any questions?"  
  
"_Oui,_ I have a question, my princess. Ah, what are ze predicted troops will we be expecting in ze area?" Sonic rolled his eyes at Antoine D'Coolette's question; he was such a worry-wart. Sure, he was the only one of them with any formal combat training, but he didn't seem to put it into effect much. Before the throne was usurped, the coyote was in training to become a member of the royal guard, and he thought that it was duty to protect Princess Sally at all costs. He even insisted on wearing an outfit similar to that of the old guard: navy blue with gold trim, meticulously kept, complete with a rapier scabbard on his belt.  
  
"Good question, and unfortunately I don't have much of an answer," Sally replied, then paused. "Nicole, please predict troop positions in the area based on recent mobilization reports."  
  
[Working, Sally... Predicted troop complement is approximately 72 SWATbots, 32 scout drones, 47 spy probes, 12 combat carriers, and 10 radar towers in a two-kilometer radius of the information depository.] The map was now flecked with red dots marking Nicole's predicted troops positions.  
  
The sound of metal-on-metal clicking emanated from Bunnie's seat as she tapped her clawed left-hand fingers on the chair. "Ah don't like the looks of it, Sally-girl," she offered in her Southern-Mobius accent. "It ain't so bad, unless ya figure on the countless other troops 'Botnik's got waitin' on standy." She stopped her tapping and crossed her arms, the metallic left contrasting sharply against her tan-sleeved right. Georgia had been one of the first casualties of their war against Robotnik, captured during a scouting mission into the forest. She had been put through his devilish contraption, the Roboticizor. They were able to rescue her before it was complete, but it still turned her left arm, both her legs, and some of the left part of her face to a metallic alloy. Georgia returned to duty, with the adopted codename "Bunnie Rabbot." She wanted more than anything to help with the construction of a "de-roboticizor," not just for herself but for the countless other citizens of Mobius who had been transformed by Robotnik.  
  
"It's not a problem," Sonic interjected. "We can be in and outta there in five minutes, tops."  
  
"We all have to give it our best, as always," Sally sighed. "If there's nothing else, we'd better get going. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can concentrate on... better things. Meeting adjourned."  
  
The three of them rose to leave, but Sally stopped Sonic in mid-stride. "Sonic, you stay. We have to talk."  
  
Bunnie and Antoine exchanged knowing glances. There were many times when Sally said that they should "talk," and most of the time it was after Sonic did something she did not approve of. They left the meeting hall quietly, and Sonic watched them go. Now he was alone, left to face the wrath of the Princess.  
  
Sally ran a hand through her auburn hair and cantered her head to one side. "Sonic, what's the deal? You knew we were planning Tails' party, but you weren't here. You finally show up and -- well, look! -- your clothes are dusty, your hair is a mess. Why?"  
  
Sonic let out a sigh of his own. "I had... that dream again last night."  
  
Sally's demeanor visibly softened. "Uncle Chuck?"  
  
"Yeah. I can't help but think about him, Sal. And I can't help but blame myself for what happened."  
  
She took two steps toward him. "That happened ten years ago, Sonic. You were five; there wasn't anything you could have done."  
  
The hedgehog looked up into her eyes. "There had to have been _somethin'_!"  
  
Sally placed a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Look, how long have we known each other?"  
  
"Pretty much forever."  
  
"Right. Now, you can either keep kicking yourself in the head because of what happened then, or you can work in the now, to try to keep Robotnik's horrors from affecting anyone else. Understand?"  
  
"Yeah, I needed that. Thanks, Sal, you're right."  
  
She smiled. "As usual."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
As soon as they had packed up what little gear they would need, the team set out from Knothole, toward Robotropolis, due north several miles. As soon as they were out of the forest Robotnik's noxious clouds of pollution were visible even this far away, spreading as far as the eye could see. His poison chemicals were everywhere: in the soil, in the air. Even in the water; a toxic river was what caused Tails' mutation.  
  
Sonic sighed as they emerged from the wood, his mind remembering vividly -- part from the dream, he realized, and part from his own memory -- what Mobius was like before the takeover. It had been called Mobotropolis, then, the Imperial city of the House of Acorn. King Acorn, Sally's dad, had just gotten finished fighting the Great War against the Power Guardians, strange mystic creatures who protected the Items of Power from evil. The Guardians had turned against them, though, and began using their powers to fight the Kingdom. The War was long -- almost five years, if he remembered it right.  
  
The day the war ended and the last Item was recovered there was much rejoicing throughout the kingdom. It took another few weeks to wrap everything up, but there was a grand banquet planned then, where the heroes of the war were to be commended for their bravery. Opening speeches hadn't even been completed when the fleets came. Sonic, Bunnie, Antoine, and Rotor had been there as "friends of the princess," and were herded to safety as the initial wave struck. Sally's nanny, Rosie, had specific orders about what to do if the children were ever in danger. She took them to the King's resort in the woods, Knothole, where they would be safe until the calamity was over. It wasn't that simple. The children watched from the forest as the great plumes of smoke and flame reached into the sky from the destruction of the city, and when the debris cleared, there was a new ruler: Doctor Ivo Robotnik.  
  
Sonic shook his head to clear the unpleasant memories. He turned the entire city into one giant factory, producing the war machine that would conquer the rest of Mobius. They had been fighting him for ten long years now, with no end in sight.  
  
"Hey, sugar-hog, y'all right?"  
  
He sighed, seeing the sympathetic look on Bunnie's face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... memories, that's all."  
  
She looked up to the sinister skyline on the horizon. "For all of us, that's fer sure."  
  
A new set of structures was visible now, tall cylindrical towers with light-beams shining from them, scanning the ground below. In the lead, Sally stopped just before the peak of a hill, where hopefully the guard towers couldn't see them. "There's the perimeter."  
  
Sonic started up the hill. "Don't worry 'bout it. I'll distract 'em, you guys start in."  
  
The princess stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Sonic, I really think we should stay together."  
  
He frowned. "Okay, how do _you_ suggest we get past 'em?"  
  
There was a long pause. "We could go between the towers where the radar is weakest, get past to-"  
  
"No good," Sonic interrupted. "Those spy drones'll see ya as soon as ya clear the hill."  
  
Sally ground her teeth. "We could take out the drones then. At least the ones that are liable to see us."  
  
"Uh, _excusez moi_, Princess," Antoine spoke up, his pistol shaking nervously in his hand. "But I do not think we will be having enough weapons or _time_ for zat."  
  
"Antoine's right," Bunnie agreed. "I think ol' sugar-hog should do a distraction."  
  
Sally pursed her lips, weighing her options. As much as she hated giving in to Sonic's childishness, there was a job that needed to be done, and he could help to do it. "Sonic?"  
  
"Yes'm?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"All right!" Sonic leapt out from behind the hill, hitting the ground running. "Juice time!"  
  
In moments he was nothing but a blue blur, heading straight for the two guard towers closest to them. The guards noticed him and began issuing orders into their radio equipment, swiveling their lights to track the incoming hedgehog. The spy drones and SWATbot storm troopers nearest to Sonic came rushing in to intercept the intruder, cameras and laser rifles coming to bear.  
  
Sonic noticed them out of the corner of his eye as he ran, altering course just slightly enough that he was headed straight for one of the towers. As Sally, Bunnie, and Antoine crept out from their hiding place and ran for the city, he smiled. _Now to ditch these SWATbutts._ There were four of them to his left, five to his right, and at least two spy drones hovering above him. As he reached the base of the radar tower he leapt high into the air, hitting the wall at an angle and jumping off in the opposite direction. As he descended he rolled into a ball, his hedgehog spines sticking out in all direction. He landed on the SWATbot directly under him, the spines puncturing the metal armor and several control wires, dropping the 'bot to the ground. He jumped upright, then as the body was falling off onto the next 'bot, then the next one and the next one. He hit the ground running once more, then sped off to where was friends had gone.  
  
The outermost edge of Robotropolis was a ring of old abandoned homes that used to belong to the citizens of Mobius. Now they were broken down hulks of mortar, a good place to hide from spy drones. Sonic skidded to a stop in an alley between two houses, then slipped into one of them when he was sure no one was looking. "How was that, Sal? Am I good or am I good?"  
  
"Don't get too cocky, Sonic," she replied. "That was the easy part." She retrieved her palmtop from her belt. "Nicole, map please."  
  
The device lit up the old room, displaying again the holographic map of Robotropolis, magnified for the sector of the city they were in now. A blinking red dot showed their position, and a red square, their objective. "It doesn't look too difficult, we just need to head down the street here, maybe cut through the alley... What do you think, guys?"  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic's stunt did not go unnoticed. As the SWATbots saw the hedgehog approaching, they triggered an alarm that wound its way through Robotropolis' security network to the Imperial Palace, where it was retrieved by Robotnik's second-in-command. He looked the communiqué over, knowing what it was about already; these "Freedom Fighters" had been doing this for so long already. He sighed, knowing that he should tell Robotnik what was going on, if not just to see the big fuss he would make about it.  
  
He got off the chair and headed through the door into the hallway, navigating the maze of passages that used to house dignitaries from foreign states on matters of business. Now he and Robotnik were the only "true organics" left in the city -- no, he corrected himself, Robotnik was far from human. He had "upgraded" himself so much that possibly his brain had started to go, too. Robotnik knew that his Roboticizor wasn't well-built enough to keep the subject's mind intact, what made him think that his own procedures would work any better?  
  
Before the large double doors of the war room he stopped, making sure that he had enough composure to face the dictator's wrath. When he was as ready as he could be he stepped forward, triggering the automatic doors and stepping through. The inner sanctum was kept dark, save for a hellish red spotlight shining on the elevated control chair in the center of the room, surrounded by panels and view screens. They were all off, perhaps so that Robotnik could meditate. What though, the aide wondered, would a madman meditate on?  
  
Robotnik obviously heard the door open, but made no effort to look at him. "What do you want, nephew?"  
  
Colin Robotnik took another hesitant step into the room. "Uh, s-sir, another group of 'Freedom Fighters' has infiltrated our perimeter defenses. They appear to be-"  
  
"_Whose_ perimeter defenses, Colin?" Robotnik's low hissing voice stayed its tone.  
  
He swallowed. "Y-Yours, sir. I only meant that-"  
  
"Is the rabbit with them?"  
  
Colin knew the answer, but he checked his notes anyway. "Oh, yes, sir. And the weapon is charged, as you requested."  
  
Robotnik swiveled the control chair around, drawing in a wavering, hissing laugh. "Very good. Very good indeed. Where are they now?"  
  
"In the south-east slums, sir. We tracked them with the spy drones."  
  
The rotund man placed his fingers together, his metal right with his organic left. His dark, artificial eyes stared over them at his aide, outrageous mustache completing his disconcerting appearance. "Load the coordinates and fire the RASP signal on my command."  
  
"Y-Yes, sir."  
  
He grinned an evil grin. "And do try to relax, nephew. At times you can be so... _snivel-y._"  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"...Maybe cut through the alley. What do you think, guys?"  
  
"Ah think we should be okay," Bunnie said, looking at the map. "As long as we make sure none o' them SWATbots see us- AHH!" Bunnie's knees suddenly gave up and she collapsed to the ground, using her arms to prop herself up. Her face was contorted in a mask of pain, both her eyes screwed shut in agony.  
  
Sally was the first to her side. "Bunnie, what is it? What's wrong?"  
  
"Don't _touch_ me, Sally-girl," she managed through clenched teeth. "Ah think the... the 'bots are comin' back on."  
  
Sonic watched on helplessly from across the room. To prepare his victims for Roboticization, Robotnik injected them with tiny machines, called nanobots, whose job was to begin converting all the host's organs into mechanical ones, as long as they had a power source to run on. Since Bunnie's operation was never fully completed, her entire body wasn't robotic, but there was enough of the little critters inside her that they could do her serious damage, if they were ever re-activated. And somehow, Robotnik just reactivated them.  
  
Bunnie completely collapsed to the floor, body rolling reflexively into a fetal position inside her brown cloak, convulsing harshly. Beads of sweat were visible on her forehead as she tried to keep from screaming against the pain.  
  
"Bunnie, what can we do?" Sally insisted. "Bunnie!"  
  
And then her shaking stopped, as her body succumbed to the pain and she blacked out. Sally cried out, reaching forward to test for a pulse, regardless of her friend's warning. She found one, though it was very weak. She got to her feet. "Antoine, you watch Bunnie. Sonic and I are going in alone. Call on the radio if you need help."  
  
"Do you think that is wise to be doing, Princess? If something were to 'appen to you, I could not-"  
  
"We'll be fine, Ant," Sonic frowned at him as Sally picked up her pack from where she had dropped it. "Just make sure nothin' happens to Bunnie, a'right?"  
  
Antoine hesitantly nodded. "_Oui._"  
  
Sonic and Sally moved cautiously out into the street, glancing about them nervously for SWATbots. There were none, none that they could _see_ anyway. "All right, Sal. Which way?"  
  
"North..." she looked around. "This way," she pointed down the street, and they headed off.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Tails was excited. He knew he was getting a "surprise" party, the way every kid seems to know it, whether you let it slip or not. He made his way through Knothole with a silly, eight-year-old grin on his face, trying to make out the words of anybody's conversation as he passed. _After all,_ he thought to himself, _you never know when someone will say something important._  
  
After a few hours of this, though, he grew tired of it, and was content to sit in the wooded area close to camp, listening to the birds and playing at the dirt with his shoes. It was in this moment of solitude that Tails realized that Sonic had been avoiding him for some time. _He's probably getting something really great for the party,_ he thought, which widened his grin even more. Sonic was his bestest buddy in the whole wide world; anything that he did was "way past cool," as he would put it. Tails wanted to be just like Sonic.  
  
The cub got up on the log he was sitting on. The thing about Sonic, though, was that he was fast. Really fast. If Tails was going to be just like him, he would have to get faster, too. And that would mean practice. He jumped down to the forest floor, crouched down in a position similar to that of Sonic when he was getting ready to run, then took off as fast as his little legs would carry him.  
  
Even though it was no where close to how fast Sonic could go, to Tails it was the greatest feeling in the world. He imagined that he was running right alongside his friend, and that he would go even faster than Sonic was, and beat him in the race. He wasn't watching where he was going, and tripped over a tree root. Tails tumbled into the foliage, was stunned for a moment, then started laughing at himself.  
  
Rotor appeared from down the path. "Tails? What're you doing out here?"  
  
"Runnin' with Sonic," he replied between giggles. "I mean, _like_ Sonic. I'm gonna be just like him when I grow up."  
  
Rotor smiled. "That's going to take a lot of practice."  
  
Tails got up and brushed himself off. "I'll practice every day, then. I'm gonna get faster."  
  
"All right, bud. Practice time's over. Come on back and wash up. Dinner's almost ready."  
  
The two of them started back, Tails running as fast as he could and getting there first.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The data depository was only a few miles past the perimeter, and Sonic and Sally reached it without hassle. As they approached the entrance to the facility, they paused, waiting and listening for the telltale sounds of approaching footsteps from Robotnik's goons. Strangely, though, they heard nothing.  
  
The front of the building was featureless apart from the two-meter-high blast door that protected the inside from the elements. Sally crouched down to the left of the door, pulling Nicole from her belt and attempting to break the security lock. Almost everything in Robotnik's empire was computerized; having a supercomputer of their own and someone who knew how to use it was a great asset, and why Sally went on almost every mission Knothole attempted.  
  
With a pleasant-sounding chirp, the lock's operation lights flashed green and the door slid open. Sally got back to her feet and they both went inside. The robots that manned the equipment in the building needed minimal lighting to operate, compared to that which most organics were used to. The two made their way forward in the dimness, hoping that they wouldn't trip any security systems on their way in.  
  
Nearly every computer console they passed -- about every five meters or so, once in the facility -- was manned by a 'bot. Fortunately, for the sake of mass-production Robotnik didn't put security detection programming into these "workers," so Sally and Sonic were relatively safe as the passed. With the help of Nicole's map, Sally led them through the maze of hallways in the depository to the central core, a towering mass of storage disks that reached to the ceiling, almost twelve meters high.  
  
"Not so hard," Sally breathed, tapping buttons on Nicole to attempt a log in of Robotnik's data network. "There's a lot of junk in here; Robotnik doesn't put a lot of priority on keeping his servers clean, I guess. All right, I've located his central files. Just a moment more...  
  
"Got it!" Sally called out, closing Nicole and replacing the computer on her belt. "Lets' go!"  
  
"Lead the way," Sonic offered and followed her out into the corridor. Sally brought them out of the monstrous building back out onto the street, and they started south toward the other half of their team.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Antoine sat on a chunk of rubble in the main area of the house, pistol in his lap, nervously staring at the outside door. Bunnie was still curled up in the center of the room, either sleeping or in a coma. She wasn't dead, at least he knew: even in the dim light he could make out her laborious breathing. _Poor Bunnie..._ he thought to himself as he watched over her. _The pain she must have suffered, must still be suffering. To have such strength..._  
  
A sound from nearby made the coyote look up back through the door. "Princess? Iz that you?"  
  
It came closer, and now it was obvious that whatever it was wasn't moving on foot. Next came the whirring, the metronome-like _beep, beep, beep_ of an anti-grav generator. A spy drone! Antoine tightened his grip on his weapon, lifting it with apprehension at the door. The sound came nearer still, and he could place it through the wall to the right of the door, slowly making its way down the street where Sonic and Sally had just gone. If the drone were to look into the house as it passed by...  
  
He jumped off his seat and took a kneeling stance beside Bunnie, realizing that she would be the first thing the 'bot would see as it turned the corner. There was a moment of long silence as Antoine waited, sweat beading on his forehead. He reached up with a hand to loosen the collar of his uniform, his temperature rising with his nervousness. _Maybe the drone will go right past,_ he thought hopefully. _Maybe it won't see-_  
  
But then it was too late. The spherical 'bot hovered slowly past the doorway, small spotlight illuminating the ground in front of it. Antoine held his breath, lower lip quivering. The 'bot slowly swiveled its beam into the house across the street, then floated into the house and began scanning the rooms. Antoine exhaled, then reached down and shook Bunnie's shoulder. "Bunnie! Bunnie, wake up! We 'ave to go!"  
  
It did no good; she was still out. Frantic, he fumbled for the radio on his belt. "Princess! Princess Sally! Come in!"  
  
The spy drone was moving to exit the house, and could now see directly into their hiding place. It paused, camera refocusing for the combination of light and distance. Antoine panicked, and fired a shot that connected with the drone's metallic casing and fried the circuitry within. It shorted out, falling to the ground with a slight _clang_ and rolling to a stop. He picked up the radio again. "Princess Sally, we 'ave been found! Please respond!"  
  
There was the crackling of static, then Sally's voice issued from the speaker. "Hold on, Antoine. Sonic and I are on our way back."  
  
He replaced the radio on his belt, sitting back on the ground. _They had better hurry. If the drone was able to call for backup, we could be surrounded by SWATbots any minute now._  
  
Antoine was silent for a moment, weighing his options. Even with the cover provided by the darkness and the walls he would still be outnumbered and outgunned by a security team. And he was unable to move the sleeping Bunnie; leaving her out in the open would be unacceptable as well. He got up, circled the chunk of mortar he had been sitting on previously, and tried to move it with a push. It didn't move at first, so he pushed harder, in the direction of the door. He succeeded only in tiring himself out.  
  
He laid panting on the ground beside the boulder, cursing himself for wasting his strength. Red-faced, he stared up at the ceiling of the house, trying to at least listen for any approaching footsteps.  
  
"Gahs? Are y'all here?"  
  
Antoine rolled over at the sound of Bunnie's weak voice. "Bunnie? You are awake?"  
  
She didn't move, and her speech came slow and hoarse. "Ah don't think ah can move at all," she managed. "That you, Antoine?"  
  
He got up and moved to her side. "_Oui,_ it is me. Zey 'ave not yet retairned."  
  
She laboriously rolled herself over with her organic hand; her robotic one didn't seem to be able to move at all. "And you stayed with me? Oh, Antoine, that is so sweet o' y'all."  
  
Antoine smiled, admiring her efforts at ignoring her obvious pain. He put the best heroic inflection he could manage into his voice. "Do not worry, Bunnie. Zey should be back shortly, and we will return to Knothole."  
  
"Ah, don't worry 'bout me, darlin'. Ah... Ah'm fine..." her voice trailed off, and rolled back onto her side, returning once again to sleep.  
  
Concentrating on Bunnie's condition, Antoine didn't hear the rhythmic clicking of several pairs of boots on the street outside, coming ever closer to his position. He heard it now, and had just enough time to poke his head out the door to see a squad of six SWATbots headed toward him. He brandished his weapon once more, reaching for the radio with his left hand. "Princess, ze SWATbots are coming. Please, 'urry!"  
  
He retreated back into the house, taking up a post between Bunnie and the door, kneeling into a firing position. In only a few moments the first SWATbots appeared outside the door; he fired, missing but forcing the trooper back out of the doorway. He heard orders being shouted, then two 'bots stormed across the doorway. Antoine fired again, this time hitting one of them in the chest and dropping him to the ground. The other, however, was able to make it to the other side of doorway, giving him an edge with a flanking maneuver.  
  
Antoine laid prone on the ground, hoping the darkness inside would be enough to keep him from being seen. Two SWATbots, one on each side of door, began firing into the room; blindly, it seemed, for they didn't hit anything near him. He looked up as they were ducking back behind the doorway; the shot he snapped off hit the house on the other side of the street. He ducked his head again, mind devoid of plans or tactics, worried only for his life.  
  
"Yee-ha!" came a very familiar yell as a blue blur ran past the doorway, jumping up and kicking the two guards on the head. They fell over, and Antoine jumped to his feet, running out into the street to see Sonic finishing off the other two SWATbots as well.  
  
"Oh, Sonique! I am so 'appy to see you!"  
  
Sonic turned, pointed and shouting. "Ant, behind you!"  
  
He spun around to see the last SWATbot towering over him, laser rifle held ready. All time seemed to stop as he squeezed the trigger... _BLAM!_  
  
Antoine's eyes slowly opened to the fact that he was not dead. He looked up in time to see the robot falling forward, burning hole in his back. Beyond, Princess Sally brought her smoking pistol up from her firing position. "Little careless, Antoine?"  
  
He sighed. "Oh, _merci,_ Princess! Shall we be leaving now?"  
  
"Yeah, let's," Sonic said, kicking the body of a fallen trooper. "Wait, where's Bunnie?"  
  
"She is inside," he answered. "She does not seem to be getting any bettair."  
  
Sally checked on her. "Sonic, can you get her back to Knothole? Antoine and I can get out of here all right. Bunnie needs help now."  
  
"No prob, Sal. I'm on it." He gently lifted her into his arms and started for the south edge of the city, not as fast as if he was unencumbered, but still fast enough. Sally and Antoine began running after him; not trying to catch up, there was something else they needed to do first.  
  
They reached the perimeter just as Sonic was disappearing over the hills, and all the SWATbots around stopped shooting as they lost their target. Sally slowly crept up to the base of one of the spotlight towers, trying to place it between her and all of Robotnik's goons standing around. She crouched down, reaching into her pack to produce a small device about as large as her fist. She slapped it onto the wall, pressing the button combination needed to start its lights flashing. "Let's go, Antoine!" she yelled out, arming her pistol now and firing randomly at the SWATbots, just to get them to move.  
  
The two of them started back to the forest, the robot guards firing waves of shots after them. "Princess," Antoine managed between gasps, "Why did you make the SWATbots be noticing to you?"  
  
"So they wouldn't notice this," she answered, fingers curling around another small, hand-held device, this one with a button on one end. Her thumb came down on it, and a deafening roar sounded around them as an explosion lit up the night sky. Sally turned back in time to see the guard tower, now with its base completely blown away, sway and teeter before plummeting to the earth, crushing at least two 'bots beneath it. The rest of them were distracted enough that Sally and Antoine could run over the hills and back to the Great Forest.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Colin swallowed the lump in his throat as he addressed the dictator of Robotropolis. "Sir, the Freedom Fighters have escaped back through the perimeter. The squad you sent and one of your guard towers have been destroyed."  
  
Almost more menacing than Robotnik's anger was his calm. "Do we have evidence that the RASP signal did was it was designed for?"  
  
He checked his notes. "Security tapes show that only two of them entered the depository. Perhaps the rabbit was incapacitated as planned."  
  
A pause. "What information did they get away with?"  
  
"It appears to be... the plans for the Roboticizor, sir."  
  
"It is of no consequence," he answered. Colin didn't understand that at all. He had definitely expected a rise out of him of some degree for that.  
  
"W-what do we do now, sir?" he stammered.  
  
"Now, 'snively,' we wait. Now we wait for the results we need."  
  


::END OF CHAPTER::

  
  
Revision history:  
08 /04 /04 :: added HTML formatting, revised Bunnie's accented dialogue (I was getting complaints from my southern girlfriend ¬.¬ ) 


	2. 3235, Day 311 : Rite

main chapter finished 10 /01 /03;  
reformatted: 12 /14 /03;  
revised/reformatted: 08 /04 /04

* * *

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**  
_Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux_

* * *

Year 3235, Day 311  
Rite

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega and DiC Productions, used without permission, but protected by applicable copyright laws... So there.  
  
Other characters: Bookshire Draftwood is (c) Bookshire Draftwood.  
  
All other characters (c) Antipode Evangel / Adam Czech.

* * *

The forest was slightly muggy in the heat of the day, but pleasant nonetheless. On a quiet day one could stroll through the Great Forest, listening to the birds singing in the treetops above, watching the shafts of sunlight streaming in through the leaf-filled canopy. Sonic Hedgehog made his way down the path through the trees, paying attention to these things only in passing. There was something more important he had to focus his senses on.  
  
His green eyes flashed from bush to bush, alert to any movement, any sound, that would give his quarry away. He had been tracking him off and on for the past two hours. He knew he was being tracked, of course. That was part of the fun.  
  
And then he saw it: the small tuft of fur attempting to mingle with the foliage, to ill effect. Sonic crouched down, inching closer to his prey, careful to make no sound on the wooded path. Closer and closer, then, when the moment was right, he struck, jumping as close to his target as he could without landing on him. "GOTCHA!"  
  
"AHH!" Tails screamed, jumping a meter into the air. He landed in a bush, then got up and brushed himself off. He sighed. "How do ya do it, Sonic?"  
  
"What, sneak up on ya? Easy."  
  
"No, hide in these stupid bushes," he demonstrated his wrath by kicking one nearby. "They're not big enough, and their color doesn't help much either."  
  
"Well, little bro, I think the problem is that..."  
  
"Yeah?" he asked anxiously. Tails was always glad to get pointers from Sonic.  
  
"...Ya move your tails around too much."  
  
The fox looked behind him, at his bushy twin tails twitching back and forth reflexively. "I guess you're right," he mumbled, then had a thought. "So that's how you do it! You don't have a tail!"  
  
"Hey!" Sonic exclaimed, crossing his arms. "I got a tail!"  
  
Tails giggled. "Not much of one."  
  
"All right, all right, big guy, let's see how well you do with searching now. Close your eyes and give me five."  
  
"Okay, Sonic," Tails replied, reaching up to cover both his eyes. "One... Two... Three... Four... Five!" He opened his eyes and looked around for Sonic, who had already hidden himself from view. Tails frowned, trying to remember which way he heard him go when his eyes were closed. He started down the path in the direction he thought the hedgehog had gone, but still had no idea where he was. _With his speed he could be half-way to Robotropolis by now,_ he thought to himself.  
  
Then he remembered: his goggles! Tails reached into his vest pocket for the pair of aviator goggles Rotor had given him for his birthday two weeks ago; he still had them from before Sonic and he started this search training. He slipped the strap over his ears, sliding the round lenses into place in front of his eyes. A press of the button on his right temple and his view changed to almost a blinding shade of red floating before his eyes. Tails winced, reaching to turn down the sensitivity. _It must be picking up bugs,_ he thought, as the streaks resolved into shades of black, with all large heat sources lit up bright red.  
  
Tails looked around through the thick glasses as he searched for Sonic, not seeming to find anything large enough to be a hedgehog hiding in the bushes. He sighed as he kept on through a bend in the path, head swiveling from side to side. After a couple steps he stopped, noticing a glowing red mass beneath a tree ahead, crouched down in the bushes. He appeared to be laughing silently to himself.  
  
The young fox grinned, getting on all fours and crouching closer to Sonic's position. He was just about to enter the foliage when he stopped and devised a plan of attack, like Sonic taught him to. Then he thought of a better way. He wound up his two tails as tight as he could, then jumped into the air, spinning his tails fast enough to keep him aloft as he crossed the distance between him and Sonic. Tails landed right on top of him, which surprised them both. Sonic let out a shout as he fell to the ground. Tails tumbled onto his back nearby.  
  
Sonic got up, rubbing his head. "Whoa, little bro. You really..."  
  
His voice trailed off as Tails got up as well, and the hedgehog could see the infrared goggles strapped to his head. "Hey, you were cheatin'!"  
  
"Was not."  
  
Sonic put his thumbs and forefingers together and held them up to his eyes. "Were too! You were usin' those goggles!"  
  
Tails grinned as he pulled the eyewear off. "Aunt Sally says that part of bein' a good Freedom Fighter is," here he put on his most official tone of voice, like Sally when addressing the camp, "knowing how to use your equipped-ment in an a-pope-riate siturations."  
  
Sonic thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah, guess you're right, little bro." The two made their way through the trees and back to the path. "That's enough training for today. Race ya home!"  
  
Tails clenched his fist. "You're on!"  
  
As always Sonic gave Tails a head-start, running just fast enough to pass him by a handful of strides. He reached the camp first, but Tails was right behind, huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his breath. "Did you... see, Sonic? I... almost... beat'cha."  
  
"The practice must be payin' off," Sonic lauded, which evoked a grin from the cub. "I'm gonna go visit Bunnie. Wanna come?"  
  
By now Tails had doubled over, hands on his knees. "No... thanks. Go on... without me," he gave a mock groan and collapsed to the ground.  
  
Sonic laughed and started off across the compound, but that laugh faded as he neared Bunnie's hut. All the curtains in the windows were drawn, and no light was visible within, reminding Sonic that this was her "place of solitude," and he felt bad disturbing her. He paused before the door, fist hovering before him. Bunnie had started segregating herself from the rest of Knothole ever since the mission two weeks ago, when her implants had suddenly reactivated. They had managed to bring her back to Bookshire Draftwood, the camp medic, who had run some tests and found that Robotnik had somehow hit her with an energy pulse which had turned on all of the nanobots in her systems. The implants had continued with their original programming and spread. After they managed to shut the 'bots down, she had spent the next week recovering, then shut herself in her room for the week after that. When she was out and about she was more distant than usual, and everyone was worried about her.  
  
Sonic finally mustered up the courage to rap lightly on the door, and it was a long moment before he heard her quiet voice from inside. "C'min."  
  
The hedgehog slowly opened the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the room's darkness as he entered. Bunnie's bedroom was neat and tidy; Sonic remembered how all of them had chipped in with the housekeeping while she was recuperating. It took him a moment to find her, sitting in a chair with her back to the door, looking out a window at the forest around the camp.  
  
Sonic came forward, reverent to her introspection. He made it to the center of the room and just stood there, feeling he was somehow intruding. "I, uh, just came to see how ya were doin', Bunnie."  
  
"Hi, Sonic," she answered, not turning her head from the window. "Ah'm fine, ah guess."  
  
"You okay in here? Can I get ya anything?"  
  
Bunnie turned her head ever so slightly, just enough that the sunlight from the window reflected off her left eye; or rather, where it would have been, for now it was an edged metallic plate embedded in her skull. Sonic fought hard to repress the shudder at seeing the new amendments to her condition again. It was one of those things that took some time to get used to. "No, ah'm okay, sugar-hog. Just need ta be alone fer a while, that's all."  
  
Sonic swallowed. "All right, just thought I'd check," he turned to leave.  
  
"How's Tails doin'? With his trainin', ah mean."  
  
He stopped, turning to face her again. "Oh, he's doin' pretty good. Better than I was at that age. More ingen... _ingenuitous?_ Is that a word?"  
  
Bunnie made an obvious effort to smile around the plating by her mouth. "Ah think the word is 'clever,' sugar-hog."  
  
"Yeah, clever, that's it."  
  
She turned back to the window. "Proud o' the little fella," she mused, seemingly to herself. "He's gonna make one _heckuva_ Freedom Fighter."  
  
"Yeah... Well, hey Bunnie, if there's nothin' ya need, lemme just say that, uh, I hope you feel better. We all do."  
  
She looked down at her metallic left arm resting on the windowsill. "Yeah. Me, too."  
  
Sonic stepped outside into the warm glow of the setting sun. He took a moment to look around Knothole, seeing how many Mobians there were that had joined the fight against Robotnik. All had their reasons for being there, but how many had to end up like Bunnie? The pain she must go through every day -- and not just physical, either. Sonic shook his head. There were some things he would never know.  
  
As he walked around the camp in the direction of nothing in particular, he noticed Rotor in the kitchen behind the mess hall, a flurry of motion as he scurried about making... _something_ on the counter. Sonic checked his watch as he ran over -- it was almost eight o' clock, but computer technicians were known for keeping odd schedules.  
  
Sonic stopped in the doorway and tried to make sense of what he was seeing. "Hey, Rote. Why're you in such a rush, man?"  
  
"Sorry, Sonic, can't talk," he answered, slapping the final piece of bread on one of the thickest sandwiches Sonic had ever seen. "I've almost got it figured out. Just need something to eat before I get back."  
  
Rotor grabbed his sandwich in one hand and a clipboard almost as thick in the other, content with leaving the kitchen a mess as he hurried back to his lab. "Yo, almost done with what?"  
  
"The Roboticizor plans!" Rotor called back over his shoulder. "I've almost figured out what the heck they mean!"  
  
Sonic shook his head. It had been two weeks! How long did it take to read a set of stupid blueprints, anyhow?  
  
"Sonic! Sonic!"  
  
He turned to see Tails running toward him from the forest path. "What is it, big guy?"  
  
Tails pointed down the path in the direction he had come from. "Aunt Sally's comin' back!"  
  
Sonic smiled. Sally had left that morning with a six-man team to one of Robotnik's remote drilling towers on the outskirts of the forest, to attempt a "forced shutdown" of the plant. It was a routine mission, really, but like every mission the other Knothole Freedom Fighters were glad when it was over, and they could breathe a little easier now that Robotnik had another dent in his regime.  
  
He quickly spread the word of the returning team, and by the time Sally rounded the bend in the path, everyone else was there to cheer their approach. Sonic cheered with them, until he was the first to notice Sally's posture: slumped over, feet almost dragging in the dirt. It wasn't long before the rest of the throng realized it, too, as Sally and one other made their way into the camp. The cheering quickly died down, and Sonic approached Sally, concern covering his face. "Hey, Sal... What happened?"  
  
"They... must have known we were coming somehow," she answered, her voice weak. "We had hardly gotten close to the tower when..." her voice trailed off, and she batted at the moisture at the corner of her eyes. "The SWATbots captured them; Devon and I were the only ones that escaped."  
  
The Freedom Fighters gathered around hung their heads and slowly dispersed over the compound. "So the tower's still up?" Sonic asked, and Sally nodded. "Hey, it's okay, Sal. Ya win some, ya lose some, right?"  
  
"It's not that easy, Sonic," she answered harshly. "They were trusting me. Putting their faith in me. And I let them down."  
  
Not knowing what else to say, Sonic merely nodded, then turned away and went into his hut, if only to avoid confrontation with the Princess.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The rest of the night was spent in silence, in memory of those brave souls who had fallen. Dinner was made, but no one really felt like eating much. As the sun finally set and the moon shone in the sky the Mobians of Knothole each retired to bed, hoping that somehow in the morning the terrible events of the mission would be put to rest, and the war would continue once more.  
  
Princess Sally Alicia was one of the last to finally turn in. She sat at a table in the commons until everyone else had gone then, as sleep began to gently tug at her heart, she finally got up and silently closed the door to her hut behind her. She pulled off her boots and dropped them to the floor, then collapsed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, remembering as she often did all those who had fallen to the enemy. Her mind raced, trying to remember the names -- or at the very least, faces -- of those who were no longer with them; she found with anger that she couldn't recall many of them. How many memories, she thought, would have to fade before this infernal war was complete?  
  
Gradually her eyes closed in slumber, her contemplation put to temporary rest. In dreamstate, she found herself back at Robotnik's generator tower, trying futilely again and again to accomplish the mission already failed. And again and again she was forced to watch her compatriots be captured and led away to a horrible unseen fate.  
  
Slowly the imaginary world around her began to fade, first the tower, than the ground beneath her feet, until all that surrounded her was a smoky haze. Unlike most dreams, though, she was still aware of these blank surroundings, and looked around wonderingly, blinking her blue eyes as she tried to make sense of it. She was fully conscious, as if not sleeping at all, merely... detached from her body.  
  
_Daughter..._  
  
The voice came to her from the haze, a voice she had not heard in a long time. She hardly recognized it, until it repeated its message, and she found the strength to answer. "Daddy?"  
  
A wavering figure was barely visible through the mist before her, and for some reason she didn't follow her initial instinct and run blindly toward it. Instead she stood where she was, staring at the image of King Maximilian Acorn, an echo of the past.  
  
"Is it really you?" she called out, the sorrow she felt from yesterday's mission again surfacing, but for a different reason.  
  
"It's me, Bean," he seemed to smile as he used his old nickname for her. "I have found you at last."  
  
"No, this isn't real," she shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "This is just a dream. You're not here."  
  
"I can't expect you to believe anything I say, especially considering the circumstances." There was a long pause that seemed to stretch for minutes. "Oh, I'm sorry I can't be there for you now. All that you must be going through."  
  
"I've been okay, Daddy," she answered, not truly knowing why she was humoring this figment of her imagination. "Where are you? Can I get to you?"  
  
"I've been imprisoned by Robotnik. Have been since the day he took over; it took me this long to locate you."  
  
"How... are you doing this?"  
  
"It's a long story, Bean. But I can tell you how to find me, if you dare risk your life and the lives of your friends for saving me."  
  
"Father, you're heir to the throne of Mobius! I can't just leave you in Robotnik's dungeon!"  
  
He hung his head. "As you wish. The gateway is in one of the sublevels of the Imperial Palace; I'm not quite sure which one, but just make it inside. I can guide you from there. There's something you must see, for the safety of Mobius itself."  
  
The image began to flicker and waver, and the king's voice grew distressed. "Oh no, he's found me. If you risk it, Bean, come quickly. I'll be waiting for you."  
  
A tear rolled down Sally's cheek. "I will... I love you, Father."  
  
"I love you, too, Sally."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic stood on the front porch of his hut, stretching and yawning and greeting the new day. Although it seemed as if everyone went to bed disappointed the night before, they were all in seemingly bright spirits in the morning, including himself. He jumped to the ground and headed for the commons, greeting his fellow Freedom Fighters as he saw them.  
  
As he passed the lab he saw Tails coming out, and called him over to join him for breakfast. "Hey, little bro, what were ya doin' in Rotor's lab?"  
  
Tails rolled his eyes. "Rotor fell asleep at work again. I was givin' him a blanket."  
  
"Good thinkin', buddy," Sonic said as he found a seat at an unoccupied table, and Tails threw himself into the adjacent chair. It wasn't long before Felix, who had drawn kitchen duty for the day, came over to take their order.  
  
"What'll it be, gents?" he asked, pad of paper and pencil in his hands, ridiculously cliché chef's hat perched on his head.  
  
Sonic folded his hands on the table and raised his eyebrows, adopting one of his strange accents. "What's the special today, my good cat?"  
  
He shrugged. "Eh, whatever."  
  
"I'll take that. How 'bout you, little bro?"  
  
"Bowl of cereal, please."  
  
"All right, you got it, guys," he put the pad away and retreated to the kitchen.  
  
"And I want it brought hot, you hear me, buddy!" Sonic called after him, standing on his chair, raising his fist to the air in mock outrage. "At least, if it's supposed to be! Otherwise not!"  
  
He sat back down, and couldn't resist to smile in response to Tails' suppressed giggling. "Yeah, you think it's funny, don'cha? See how funny it is if you get cold food."  
  
"Cereal's s'posed to be cold, Sonic."  
  
"You know what I mean."  
  
Tails regained composure. "So what trainin' are we gonna to do today?"  
  
Sonic thought about it for a moment. "Well, depends if Sal's got a mission for today or not. Otherwise, maybe we can do some more stuff in the woods. I think next we should do tracking."  
  
"Oooh, tracking," he echoed, genuinely interested. "Sounds like fun."  
  
"Well, maybe," he pondered as Felix returned with their food. "Depends on how we do it." Sonic looked down at the plate set before him, hesitantly prodded its contents with a fork. "Oh, yeah, that's whatever, all right."  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn ya," he answered as he turned back to the kitchen.  
  
Sonic was about to say "when did you warn me?" when a sound behind him caught his attention. He swiveled his head to look, and saw Sally running into the commons, her hair a mess, her clothes wrinkled, her vest collar askew. His thoughts went back to the meeting two weeks before, when she had almost railed off on him for looking like the living dead. _Now we'll see who bugs who,_ he thought to himself, taking a bite of what he hoped were scrambled eggs.  
  
She quickly spotted Sonic and Tails' table, then hurried over and planted her hands down with such force that they both jumped. "He contacted me."  
  
"Who _contracted_ you, Aunt Sally?" Tails asked, sticking a huge spoon of cereal into his mouth.  
  
She got the feeling of the stares around her and took a seat. "My father. He called me last night, Sonic."  
  
"Say what?" he replied, not giving her the chance to ruin his already failing appetite and taking another bite.  
  
"I... don't know how to explain it, but he called me -- telepathically, I guess. He told me where he was and that we should rescue him."  
  
"Tele-pathetic, what now?" Sonic's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Isn't that where ya talk to their _minds_?" Tails put his hands to his temples and rocked back and forth in the imitation of some kind of a zombie. Sonic laughed.  
  
"Fine!" Sally jumped to her feet. "I knew you wouldn't understand!" She spotted Antoine across the room, and headed over to him.  
  
"We were jus' havin fun, Aunt Sally," Tails called after her, then returned to his cereal. "Didn't mean nothin' by it."  
  
"Aw, forget about her, little bro," he answered, watching her go as well. "Women, huh? Can't live with 'em... pass the salt."  
  
Tails obliged, not quite getting what he was talking about, in any case. And deep inside, Sonic didn't mean it, anyway.  
  
The rest of breakfast passed quickly, Sonic and Tails chatting it up in their corner of the commons, posing a danger to passers-by with their frequent edible projectiles. When they were finished they went outside, spending some hours in the forest by Sonic teaching Tails about the many foot-marks found in the trees and how you could tell which animal they belonged to. Sonic didn't really put any thought into what Sally was talking about before until they returned to Knothole and found Sally and Antoine armed with knapsacks and heading out into the Great Forest.  
  
"Whoa-ho! Where're you guys goin'?"  
  
"Robotropolis," Sally replied casually. "Not that you'd care."  
  
He ran in front of her. "Just you guys? What'd you have for breakfast, paint thinner? Ro-butt-nik's guards'll squash you before you can get close!"  
  
"So you want to come?"  
  
He crossed his arms. "Now jussa minute. I didn't say that."  
  
"Then please step aside. Antoine and I have things to do."  
  
Sally and Sonic initiated a staring contest of sorts, one so intense Tails found himself backing slowly away. It was a long while before Sonic threw up his hands in disbelief. "Oh, fine! I'm comin'! Can't talk ya out of it, and can't let ya get yourself killed goin' by yourself!"  
  
"And Antoine."  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Antoine, too."  
  
Antoine growled as Sonic ran to the equipment hut to grab a supply pack, then quickly returned, ready to go. The three were about to set off when they heard a faint voice calling out to them. "Wait a sec', you guys. Ah'm comin', too."  
  
They turned wide-eyed to see Bunnie at the door of her hut, trying to make it down the stairs. Sonic zipped over to help her down.  
  
"Are you sure, Bunnie?" Sally asked her. "Do you think you're up to it?"  
  
"More than 'up to it,' Sally-girl," she answered, trying to keep her balance as Sonic let go. "Ah figure ah cain't stay locked up forever. 'Sides, this's important to yah, right? Yer dad'n everything."  
  
"But, Bunnie," Sonic observed. "Your legs. Are they..."  
  
"Aw, they're fine. Just ain't used 'em in a while, that's all. Ah should be back to normal bah the time we reach Robotropolis. That is, if ya'll let me join ya."  
  
"Of course, Bunnie," Sally replied. "Glad to have you back."  
  
"Glad ta be back, Sally-girl," she said, flexing her left arm to loosen the joint. "Jus' lemme get a pack and we'll be off."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Tails stood idly by while Sonic and the others left into the forest. Sometimes he wished he could go with them, but he knew what they would say: "No, Tails, you're too young. It's too dangerous. You might get hurt." It didn't even pay to ask. When at last they were out of sight he turned back to the camp, dragging his feet as he wandered.  
  
It was at this point that Rotor woke up at his desk and meandered outside to get a cup of coffee. He saw Tails shuffling by, and noticed the dejected look on his face. "Hey, little guy. What's up?"  
  
Tails looked up. "Sonic's left again. Him 'n Sally 'n Bunnie 'n Ant left to find Sally's dad... or somethin.'"  
  
"Sally's dad... King Acorn?" he asked skeptically through the steam from his mug. "I thought he was long gone by now."  
  
Tails shrugged. "Sally said somethin' 'bout him callin' her tele-pathetically."  
  
"You mean _telepathically_?"  
  
"Yeah, that."  
  
"Man, what is Mobius coming to," he muttered as he started for his lab. "I'm out of it for a couple hours and everyone starts getting delusions..."  
  
Tails trotted beside Rotor into the lab, watching his step for the piles of junk -- what everyone but Rotor called it -- scattered about. In one corner, by the desk, was a relatively clean area, but standing smack in the middle of it was a platform almost as tall as Tails was, with steps leading up to it and wires snaking out like tentacles. On the desk was a large schematic printout, and all three of the monitors on the desktop were on. Rotor threw himself into the chair and rolled over to the desk, picking up where he left off.  
  
"What'cha doin', Rotor?"  
  
He looked down to see the young fox head peeking up over the edge of the table. "Trying to make some sense out of these Roboticizor plans," he answered, gesturing at the printout and the screens. "I almost got it last night, but there seems to be a lot of components that either we don't have, or don't fit quite right. I'm making up a list to give to Sally, of all the parts we need."  
  
"Can I help?"  
  
He mulled it over for a moment, trying to think of something the cub could do that wouldn't get in the way too much. "Uh, sure. You can hand me the tools I need when I ask for them, all right?"  
  
That made Tails' day. "'Kay," he squeaked, quickly finding Rotor's toolbox and scraping it all the way to the desk. "Ready!"  
  
Rotor smiled, knowing that this would take longer than it had to, but at the very least Tails might learn something about cybernetic mechanics. _Wouldn't that be something,_ Rotor thought to himself, _if Tails grows up to be a techie like me._  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The Imperial Tower was the highest point in Robotropolis, but it looked much different than it did the last time Sally was inside. Now its surfaces seemed dark, as if with some kind of inherent evil. _That's somewhat true,_ she thought. _There is a great evil within these walls._  
  
Their first objective would be to locate the hidden back door to the palace, one that she still remembered from her childhood. In fact, all four of them may remember it; they used to play here as children, hiding and seeking in the Palace's many hidden nooks and crannies. At times during the trek she would look back at her teammates, seeing their faces betray their inner feelings connected with the place. So many memories, from so long ago.  
  
Their thoughts were preoccupied even as they traveled the streets patrolled by SWATbots and spy drones, but they were able to reach the rear of the tower without incident. It was formerly the "delivery entrance," which led to the kitchens and the storerooms. Hopefully, she pondered as she activated Nicole and proceeded to open the locked door, Robotnik hadn't changed the facility too much.  
  
The door slid open and the four quickly made their way inside; the door closed and sealed shut, enveloping them in darkness. Antoine started to whine, and Sonic started to threaten as Sally reached into her pack for a torch and switched it on with a snapping hiss. The shadows around them were dispelled, and they found themselves in the dusty, ravaged remains of the main kitchen.  
  
"Guess Buttnik doesn't like to cook much," Sonic offered, looking around at the room's disrepair.  
  
"He wouldn't need to, not with a mechanized army," Sally replied dryly, taking in her surroundings as well.  
  
"Ah doubt Robotnik's much of a cook, anyhoo," Bunnie chuckled, looking downright eerie with the glow of the torch reflecting off her left arm and false eye.  
  
"Can we please to be stopping ze chitty-chatter and be leaving zis place? It is to be giving me ze -- as you say -- _heebie-jeepers._"  
  
"Antoine's right. Let's try to find the door to the south hall. It should wind around the main areas of the palace and lead to an elevator."  
  
Sally led the way as they found the door to the hallway, as she recalled, and into the south hallway, which was almost as desolate as the kitchen. As they proceeded by the glow of the torch, she pulled Nicole from her belt. "Nicole, please analyze the status of the palace power grid."  
  
[Working, Sally... Sections Three through Thirty and Sections Forty-Two through Forty-Nine are offline. The power grid is currently running at ninety-eight-point-six percent output.]  
  
"What's up Sal?" Sonic asked, seeing the look of concentration on her face.  
  
"Robotnik's turned off the power in about half of the Palace, but the output's almost the same. He must have some pretty big machinery working somewhere."  
  
"Sal, this is Robotnik. He's got the Roboticizor, SWATbot factories, comm towers..."  
  
"Not all in the same building," she answered, turning her head to face him as she walked. "He doesn't have any production facilities in this whole _sector;_ our own recon proved that. And his main Roboticizor is three kilometers away."  
  
"Oh. Well, maybe he's got the palace stocked full of-"  
  
"Booby traps?" Sally finished, her voice seeming to echo ominously through the hallway.  
  
"... That's not what I was gonna say," he replied too quickly.  
  
"Still, everyone be careful where you step."  
  
The four continued on through the darkness of the hallway, all eyes peeled for SWATbots or any kind of trap on the walls. Fortunately, though, Robotnik didn't think of any obvious security measures for the south end of the palace, and they were able to evade detection. As they neared the elevator, however, the thought nagging at Sally's mind generated a cohesive thought. "There's no power." Everyone turned to look at her; she elaborated. "How is the elevator supposed to work with no power to this section?"  
  
An inaudible moan was shared by all. "Hey, no prob," Sonic spoke up. "We just gotta go to the power station and flip a switch, right? No biggie."  
  
"Yes, biggie," Sally replied. "First of all, it's going to be guarded. Heavily. Second of all, I don't even think it's in this building, if I remember the maps right."  
  
Bunnie blinked her good eye. "So what're we gonna do, Sally-girl?"  
  
A whisper. Sally spun on her heel, lifting the torch and peering into the darkness down the hallway. There was nothing she could see, but she was sure she heard _something._ "Did you guys hear that?"  
  
"Hear what, Sal?"  
  
She squinted in concentration. "It was... something."  
  
"I am not 'earing anything, Princess," Antoine said; then, after a pause. "Per'aps it is your father come to 'elp you."  
  
Sonic gave a loud sigh. "Oh, gimme a break, Ant! Sal's dad is locked in prison, remember? He's not gonna sneak out to help us rescue him!"  
  
"Maybe it was," Sally whispered. "He said we'd have to get in, then he'd guide us along."  
  
Even Sonic stayed quiet at that one. There was a long moment where no sound was uttered, save for the mute hissing of the torch in Sally's hand. Then came the impatient _tap, tap, tap_ of Sonic's sneaker on the floor.  
  
"Wait. Do you hear that?"  
  
"Sorry," Sonic answered.  
  
"Not you," Sally scowled. "Listen."  
  
It was a high-pitched whine that rose in crescendo all around them, seeming to come from the very walls of the corridor. Sally's quickly doused the torch, and they could plainly see the lights in the ceiling beginning to glow brighter, sparking occasionally. "It's a power surge!" Sally shouted above the din. "Come on!"  
  
They took off at a run down the hallway, Sally hoping that the elevator was somewhere nearby. The electric whine of the surge grew in intensity around them, and she could feel the hairs on her neck standing up. The elevator was now visible around the bend, the door snapping open and closed spasmodically. "Everyone inside!"  
  
"Allow me, Sally-girl," Bunnie called, running past the group and placing herself in the doorway, using her left arm to keep the erratic machinery from crushing them on their way in. They all jumped in, then Bunnie entered herself, allowing the door to slide shut.  
  
As soon as it did, it sealed shut, and the lights in the car died. "Zat is all, yes?" Antoine asked worriedly.  
  
Then the aftershock came. The doors stayed closed, but now the main lights began flickering on and off, then the button controls started flashing sporadically. The entire car was acting -- for lack of better word in Sally's vocabulary -- possessed.  
  
Then as soon as it had started it was over once more. The lights stayed on this time, and everyone looked around, each of their faces asking "What the heck was that?"  
  
"So then..." Bunnie swallowed. "Where to?"  
  
Antoine's mouth opened and he pointed to the controls. "It looks as if someone has already shosen for us."  
  
They all looked, to see the selector LED for "S4" -- sublevel four -- was lit up. A beep sounded, followed by a click, then the entire car lurched into descent. Unable to do anything about their destination, Sally played the defensive card. She pulled the pistol from her bag, taking the right side of the door while ordering Antoine to cover the left. Sonic and Bunnie stayed behind them, ready as backup. After each floor came a _ding_ until the car slowed as it reached the fourth basement level. The doors slid silently open to reveal...  
  
Nothing. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, then exited out into a new hallway, one that Sally couldn't quite remember the floor plan for. She reached for her computer. "Nicole, switch to auto-map mode, please."  
  
The palmtop's screen changed to a schematic of winding lines to represent their position, and the lines kept drawing themselves as they continued down the hall to the east. _Okay, father. Which way?_ she thought silently to herself, hoping somehow he could hear her.  
  
The hallway seemed to stretch for meters, and Sally faintly recalled hearing about how the subterranean tunnels covered an area far wider than the base of the palace; she wondered exactly how far. At long last the interior lighting of the section of corridor beyond was visible, and Sally extinguished the torch as they neared, slowly.  
  
There were doors on each side of the hall, labeled as to their contents. Most were storage rooms, but one in particular caught Sally's eye: it read, simply "RECORDS." She opened it, glad to see it both unlocked and unguarded. Inside were stacks of printed media, probably taken from the old palace library. In the center of the room was a large cylindrical server, with a control panel in front. She approached it slowly, knowing how fond Robotnik was of making things appear too easy. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, hoping this wasn't some trap they had walked into. After weighing the options she tapped a key, then jumped back as the machine switched on, commands being entered automatically from the prompt.  
  
"Sal, what'd you do?" Sonic asked, coming up behind her.  
  
"N-nothing! It's running by itself!"  
  
The text finally stopped scrolling, and Sally looked at the screen. It now displayed the historical records pertaining to the year 3224, the year of Robotnik's coup of the throne. Her eyes flashed as she read the accounts, especially the last one, where the cursor had stopped printing: "3225 (103): Acorn banished to Void." It was short and succinct, chilling in its simplicity. "Void?" What was that?  
  
"Oh my gosh," she shook her head, pulling out Nicole and ordering a download of the information on the screen. Not willing to press her luck with any other tampering, she closed down the terminal and hurried back to the hallway.  
  
"What was that all about?" Sonic asked. "She looked like she'd seen a ghost."  
  
"A ghost is what we will becoming if we are not getting out of 'ere!"  
  
"Quiet, Antoine," Bunnie scolded. "Are we leavin' now, Sally-girl?"  
  
The Princess looked over the information, then closed her eyes. Whatever the voice was that had come to her upstairs, it was still pushing her onward, as if they weren't quite finished here yet. "We're going on."  
  
After they had passed the storage wing, there was another long stretch of empty corridor, as if the palace engineers had just kept building the hallway without thinking of putting anything in it. It continued for some time, until there was also a set of large double doors in the left wall. Sally looked at them curiously, then to her teammates. They slid open at her approach, and the four entered, staring at disbelief at the sight before them. "Well," Sonic offered, "there's your _machinery,_ Sal."  
  
It was a room almost as wide as the palace itself, stretching for two -- maybe three -- floors. Worker 'bots of all shapes and sizes milled about, running for equipment and working on the large device in the center of the space. As it was in a largely unfinished state, and it was obviously only part of a larger machine, it was impossible to tell what it was, other than _huge._  
  
Sally spoke distractedly to her computer. "Nicole, begin recording."  
  
[Complying, Sally.]  
  
"Whoa," was all Sonic could say. Antoine was speechless.  
  
"'Something I need to show you...'"  
  
Sonic looked to Sally. "Huh?"  
  
"That's what my father said, or whoever it was in my head last night. He said, 'There's something I need to show you, for the safety of Mobius.'"  
  
"So it's some kind of weapon, Sal?"  
  
"Or a part of one. It's far from finished, whatever it is. I'll show Rotor the tapes, maybe he can make sense of it."  
  
"Oh mah stars..." Bunnie voice finally found her. "Ah can hear them."  
  
"Say what?" Sonic spun around to face her.  
  
"Ah can hear the 'bots, in my head. Ah hear what they're sayin' to each other."  
  
Sally and Sonic exchanged worried glances. Bookshire said that one of the effects of Bunnie's new condition was that she could pick up communications frequencies of 'bots in her vicinity. No one knew exactly what kind of effect that would have, or if she could be remotely controlled by Robotnik as well. Now it seemed as if his theory was proving correct.  
  
"What are they saying, Bunnie?"  
  
"Ah... don't know. There's too _many_ of 'em," she raised her hands to her ears, but it did no good. "They're talkin' 'bout somethin' called... Doomsday."  
  
"That ain't good," Sonic stated the obvious.  
  
"All right, that's enough," Sally spoke up, putting away her equipment and turning to the door. "We've done all we can. We're leaving."  
  
They helped Bunnie out into the hall, and her breathing came easier as the voices in her head faded. They doubled back to the elevator, which had stayed on from the power surge, then headed back to Knothole.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Rotor sat hunched over his desk, eyes glued to the computer screen, hand over his mouth as he focused on what it was he was seeing. "Well, it's _big,_ that's for sure."  
  
"We already knew that, Rote," Sonic replied, tapping his foot impatiently.  
  
He pushed his swivel chair away. "Other than that, there's not much I can tell you. It's not finished enough."  
  
"Is there anything you can tell us, Rotor?" Sally approached. "Anything at all?"  
  
"Well..." he answered slowly, turning back. "See this here?" He pointed to a point on the monitor. "That's got to be a power supply of some kind, kind of small but who knows what it's for? This over here looks like a cockpit, two-man. Again, there's nothing in it right now so I can't tell you what they're controlling."  
  
Sally frowned. "That's better than nothing, I suppose. Thanks Rotor."  
  
"No problem, ma'am," Rotor replied and moved to turn off the monitor.  
  
"Whoa, hold it!" Sonic yelled, running over to the desk, staring at it intently. "That part right there! Rote, can you blow that up?"  
  
"Uh, sure, hold on." He tapped some buttons on his console, and the part of the screen Sonic motioned to was magnified.  
  
"Holy Mobius, that's him!"  
  
"Who, Sonic?" Sally asked, peering over his shoulder.  
  
He spun to face her, pointing at the worker bot from the background. "That's Uncle Chuck!"  
  


::END OF CHAPTER::

  
  
Revision history:  
08 /04 /04 :: added HTML formatting, revised Bunnie's accented dialogue (I was getting complaints from my southern girlfriend ) 


	3. 3235, Day 330 : Circuit

main chapter finished 10 /01 /03;  
reformatted: 12 /14 /03;  
revised/reformatted: 08 /04 /04

* * *

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**  
_Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux_

* * *

Year 3235, Day 330  
Circuit

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by applicable copyright laws... So there.  
  
Other characters:  
  
Kara, Grease, and Cornelius (c) Antipode Echidna / Adam Czech. Please ask permission before using any of my charas, thanx!

* * *

The Blue Blur streaked through the Great Forest of Mobius, his mind focused solely on the mission at hand. He was solo this time; Sally had finally agreed to his pleading when she considered that he wasn't going anywhere near Robotropolis. Tails had wanted to come, too, of course, but he had to be turned down. Again. _Some day,_ Sonic thought to himself as he ran, _T2 'n I are gonna go someplace, all by ourselves. That'd be way past cool!_  
  
The hedgehog skidded to a stop as he passed into the clearing, readjusting the straps on his day pack as he look up Green Emerald Hill, and the imposing structures cleft into it. Actually it was just one structure, as all of the facades were interconnected with tunnels in the hill. "The Elder Fortification," he whispered to himself as he started up. "This's the place all right."  
  
He pulled the radio from his belt. "Hey, Rote. The hedgehog has landed! How're you guys doin', over?"  
  
Rotor's voice came back amid the static. "Great, Sonic. We're almost ready to start the power test. Better stay outside till we're ready; the radios may not work in the catacombs, over."  
  
"Gotcha, Rote. Over'n out."  
  
Sonic sat down in the grass beside one of the entrances, resting in the moist grass in the shaded side of the hill. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax, taking a breath of the clean morning air. Then he heard the _click_ing of a pistol hammer above him.  
  
"Sonic Hedgehog?"  
  
His right eye clicked open, and he looked up to see an elderly field mouse standing over him. He wore a white robe that hid most of his face, and he had a pistol in his hands, pointed at him. Sonic raised his eyebrows. "You must be Cornelius."  
  
The Elder's hand slid out from under his robe to pull back the hood. "You have a firm psyche, agent," he replied in his low gravelly voice as he replaced the weapon within the folds of his robe. "Most would be disturbed to be awakened from their sleep by a weapon."  
  
Sonic got to his feet. "Eh, Sal told me you might do something kooky. You Elders like to keep a close eye on things round here, right?"  
  
He nodded sagely. "Indeed. Robotnik's scouts have not yet found our sanctuary, and it would be best for the cause if it stayed that way. Tell me, how is the Princess?"  
  
He shrugged. "Fine, I guess. The war's been tough on everybody, but on her the most. She takes it a little personal, bein' the leader 'n everything."  
  
"Understandable. Well, Sonic, tell me what brings you to our humble encampment?"  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah, the message!" he reached into his pack to produce the paper that Sally had given him. He looked over the scrawling before handing it over. "Big news, Corny."  
  
Cornelius' eyes grew wide as he read Sally's message. "Surely? This is indeed 'great news.' But the message is not complete..."  
  
Sonic nodded. "We're gonna do a power test before we let anybody know. Don't wanna get their hopes too high, right?"  
  
"No..." he replied, occupied. "Well, in any case this is a great step toward a free Mobius. The potential for having a de-Roboticizor in every resistance cell is quite staggering!"  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The walrus's great hand reached to the back of the machine, sticking the wire where he hoped it belonged. He pulled it back and got to his feet, brushing off his pants for the dust on the floor of the lab. "That's the last one," Rotor reported, lifting the welding goggles from his eyes. "Final checklist time. Tails?"  
  
The young fox appeared, his own goggles in place and Rotor's clipboard in his hands. "Ready!" he squeaked, excited as everyone else but without mature inhibition.  
  
"Okay, go ahead."  
  
Tails looked down at the printout in his hands, speaking the first item on the list precociously. "Um... Main Power Cable?"  
  
Rotor looked to make sure is was connected securely. "Check."  
  
Tails scratched it off with a flourish. "Power Trans... Transformer?"  
  
"Check."  
  
Another pencil swipe. "Main operating room?"  
  
Rotor's head came up. "What?"  
  
Sally looked over Tails' shoulder, then chuckled. "Operating _ROM,_ Tails."  
  
"Oh. Sorry."  
  
"No problem, buddy," Rotor groaned as he went back behind the machine. "Yeah, that's in here."  
  
They went through the rest of the list, Sally helping with the long, technical words, which was most of them. It took almost a dozen minutes, and at the end the anticipation in the room was thick enough to feel. "Enough with tha' _checklist,_ Rotor," Bunnie spoke up from the corner. "Let's get this show on tha road!"  
  
"All right..." he crossed the room to the lab electrical panel. "Main power on..." His hand threw the massive switch that controlled all power to the laboratory; the lights flickered to life, along with some of his computers. He went to one of the keyboards and tapped in the startup sequence for the diagnostics devices he had hooked up to the de-Roboticizor. Rotor paused for dramatic silence, then flipped the switch.  
  
Everyone held their breath as the indicator lights on the platform began to blink, then stayed solid as a powerful hum echoed through the room. A cheer went up from the lab and from outside, as those Freedom Fighters who couldn't get in watched through the windows. Rotor slumped in his chair with disbelief as Tails jumped onto his back to congratulate him. From the back of the room Sally, wide grin on her beaming face, took the radio and pressed the button. "Sonic? Do you read me, Sonic?"  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic held the radio at arm's length, still able to hear the whoops and hollers of the Mobians on the other end of the line.  
  
"It appears as though the procedure was a success," Cornelius offered, his usually monastically neutral expression broken by a smile.  
  
"Yeah, guess so," Sonic winced.  
  
The sounds of celebration faded as whoever was holding the radio moved away from the crowd. "Sonic, come in?"  
  
Sonic smiled. "Geez, Sal. You'd think we'd beaten Ro-buttnik already with all the racket those guys're makin'."  
  
Sally let the comment slide; she was too overjoyed to think about engaging in a sparring match with the hedgehog at the moment. "Tell Cornelius the power test was successful."  
  
"Like we didn't know that already," he mumbled.  
  
"Proceed with the message."  
  
"All right, Sal. Over'n out." He turned to face the elder. "Looks like we did it. Let's let 'em know."  
  
Cornelius agreed and motioned for Sonic to follow him into the catacombs, but they stopped short when they heard Sally's voice again. "Son-... -on't sen-... -ome in, Sonic!"  
  
The message was broken up by static, and most of it was unintelligible. Sonic snatched the radio off his belt. "What whazzat, Sal, you're breakin' up!"  
  
"Don't send the-... -oblems with the-..." Static overpowered the transmission, and the princess's voice was lost.  
  
"Problems?" Sonic echoed what he thought he heard. "Crap. Better hold off on the transmit, Corny. Sounds like the guys hit a snag."  
  
"They'd better hurry," the elder replied slowly. "After sundown a message cannot be sent."  
  
_Yeah, I know, I know,_ he thought to himself. _Just hope nothing too bad happened to the guys back home._  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Rotor coughed and sat up on the floor, looking around through the smoke. "Hey, everybody okay?"  
  
"Yeah," came Tails' voice from across the room.  
  
Bunnie opened her right eye and lifted herself from the floor. The transistors in her brain immediately assessed the situation, modifying the implant at her throat to begin scrubbing the smoky air, and switching her right eye's view to infrared. _Damned implants are good for something, I guess,_ she thought dryly as the changes were executed. "What the hoo-ha happened, Rotor?"  
  
He coughed again. "Blew a fuse I think. This thing takes up way too much power; even the startup sequence blew out our generator."  
  
Sally ran into the room from outside; she had been wondering why the radio didn't work, then she looked back at the lab and saw the extent of the damage. Most of it was superficial; something exploded inside the lab and thin smoke filled the small room. "Rotor? Bunnie? Everyone all right?"  
  
"We're fine, Aunt Sally," Tails assured her, brushing off his jacket and shorts. "Somethin' _popped._"  
  
"I think that 'something' was the power converter," Rotor reported from behind the platform. "It tried to draw in too much energy and wasted the fuse on the main generator, but not before the converter blew."  
  
"What does that mean?" Sally asked, concerned.  
  
"It means, ma'am, that our generator won't cut it anymore," Rotor shook his head. "It was fine when all we had to power were lights and computers, but this a high-end piece of Robotnik's hardware. We'll need something bigger."  
  
"How much bigger?"  
  
The techie thought a moment, almost hesitant to answer. "Six... maybe seven times."  
  
She thought through the situation analytically. "How long would that take, if we got everyone with technical experience to help?"  
  
"From start to finish... Depending on how often we can get parts from Robotropolis... The better part of a year or two."  
  
Sally sighed. After all the work so far, they still weren't out of the woods, literally and figuratively. "Tails, do you know how to turn on the emergency backup generator?"  
  
He blinked his big blue eyes and frowned. "Not really."  
  
"It's the big switch on the front. Just flip it to 'on.'"  
  
"Okay, Aunt Sally," he answered and scampered out the door.  
  
It was a moment before the lights in the lab flickered back to life. Sally walked outside and tried the radio again. "Sonic, do you read me, over?"  
  
There was the crackling of static, then the hedgehog's voice issued back. "I copy ya, Sal. What happened, over?"  
  
She sighed. "We just blew a fuse. Rotor says we'll need a new generator to power the de-Roboticizor, over."  
  
"That'll take some doin'. Does that mean we don't have a de-Roboticizor yet, over?"  
  
Sally sighed. "That's right. We have the plans, and that's about it." She pondered. "Go ahead with the message to the rest of the cells. At least a little news is good news, over."  
  
"Gotcha, Sal. Be back to camp as soon as it's sent! Sonic Hedgehog, over'n out."  
  
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. He was so full of himself. Sally returned to the lab as everyone was starting to clean up a little. She told everyone that Sonic was delivering the message, then asked Rotor what he would need to continue working on the Roboticizor, besides another power generator.  
  
"Well, have to replace this, for one thing," he answered, tossing the charred remains of the power converter to the floor of the lab. "Other than that, there's still a lot of parts that we don't have yet."  
  
"Well, my schedule's clear. How about yours, Bunnie?"  
  
Bunnie stared at her. "Ya serious, Sally-girl? Right now?"  
  
She shrugged. "Why not? Just a quick supply mission. We can handle that, can't we?"  
  
The other thought for a moment, then shrugged as well. "Guess so. All right, let's go."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic was led by torchlight down into the catacombs that wound under Emerald Hill and the surrounding area. It had been a while since he had been down in there, and he found himself again marveling at the strange etchings on the walls they passed. No one knew just how long the Elder Fortification had been around, not even the monks who inhabited it now. Just before Robotnik's takeover it had been little more than a sanctuary for the heavy-laden traveler. But now that more and more of those 'travelers' were refugees and freedom fighters, the monks had decided to slightly modify their job description.  
  
The two finally made it to the end of a passage, where Cornelius shifted the torch to his left hand and pressed his right into a stone on the wall. The panel shone a bright red, then beeped as the print match was confirmed and the wall before them slid aside. Beyond was a chamber that had been lined on all sides with computer detection, surveillance, and transmission equipment, a stark contrast to the ancient architecture they had been previously passing through.  
  
A squirrel acolyte approached them and bowed. "Elder Cornelius. You have news?"  
  
"Yes, Thomas. This is Sonic Hedgehog, from the Knothole cell," he motioned and Sonic waved passively. "We need to inform the other groups that the blueprints for the de-Roboticizor have been deciphered, and construction is underway. Also let them know that the power strain for such a device is immense; all cells that are able must prepare for instituting a larger generator."  
  
Thomas looked up from the notepad he had been scribbling on. He repeated his notes for accuracy, then bowed and retreated to one of the terminals to enter the message. Sonic watched him go. "Well, that's that."  
  
"Hopefully it will be enough, for now," Cornelius replied solemnly.  
  
"Thanks for your help, guys," Sonic gave them a two-fingered salute.  
  
"Thank you, Sonic. Do you need help getting back to the surface?"  
  
He waved him off. "Nah, I can handle it. See ya!" Sonic took Cornelius' offered torch, then exited back into the corridor. He went as far as he could before reaching a fork, deciding to follow his "hedgehog sense" and go left.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
He quickly woke, aware of the foreign presence. His eyes snapped open, rolling off the cot into a defensive crouch, left hand reaching for the sword hidden beneath. The presence didn't feel like any of the monks; the footfalls didn't land on the stones as quiet as they should have, and his constant muttering echoed off the passage walls.  
  
The echidna crept to the edge of his door, peeking around the corner in time to see a blue hedgehog crossing an intersection nearby, torch held aloft. _If they've followed me this far,_ he thought to himself, frowning, _desecrating a monastery wouldn't be that far to go. These monks were kind enough to take me in and heal my wounds, but could they possibly cooperate with the Rogues, essentially hand me over to them?_  
  
He resisted the urge to track the hedgehog, easy as it may have been. If he had been a Rogue there would have been more with him, and he didn't fit with their style, at any rate. He returned to his bed, replacing the blade in its hiding place. Under normal circumstances he would have asked where he was from; possibly from the camp he was trying to reach? He sighed and closed his eyes once more. _No, I need more strength first. Need rest..._  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Even in broad daylight the pollution from the factories of Robotropolis made the city look dark and gloomy. It had gotten so bad during Robotnik's ten-year reign that the noxious fumes had created a perpetual fog that blanketed the once-proud capitol, cutting down visibility and posing a breathing hazard to the Mobians sent to infiltrate the area. Sally often wondered if such a high amount of air contamination could ever be reversed; in any case, an emergency oxygen canister would remain as standard field equipment for a long time.  
  
The two freedom fighters made their way down a dark passage between two warehouses, employing the tactics of stealth honed by years of subterfuge. Sally pressed her right shoulder against the mouth of the alley, peeking around the corner for any sign of Robotnik's SWATbots. She saw only two, standing guard at the entrance to a warehouse twenty-five meters down the street.  
  
"They out there, Sally?" Bunnie whispered, blinking her right eye.  
  
"Yep. Two of them," Sally smiled. "Just as we thought."  
  
She tapped the fingers of her left hand together, producing a sharp metallic clicking. "We goin' fer 'quiet' or 'not so quiet?'"  
  
"I think we'd better stick to stealth," the princess answered, doubling back into the alley and searching the walls. "It should be... here." She stopped, placing her hands on a discolored one-meter square close to the ground. "This could be our way in. Bunnie, if you please?"  
  
"No problem," the rabbit answered, coming forward to place her left hand on the square, fingers hydraulically tightening and digging into whatever material it was of. Her arm contracted, ripping the entire air vent out of the wall. Bunnie carefully set it aside to make as little noise as possible, then followed Sally into the warehouse.  
  
The interior lights were off, but a torch wasn't necessary from the moonlight coming in the windows. The two carefully descended the metal stairs that went to a catwalk built all around the edge of the room. Sally spotted a ladder that led to a roof hatch; she suggested her plan and they crossed over.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
It was about this time that Sonic streaked into Knothole, seeing as he entered the thin cloud of smoke hanging over the lab. He went over, pushing the door open to see Tails and Rotor picking up the results of their power test.  
  
"Botnik's bloated butt! What'd you guys do!"  
  
"Take it easy, Sonic," Rotor replied calmly, pushing aside a pile of parts to sweep out a corner.  
  
"Yeah," Tails giggled. "You act like you never seen a 'splodie before."  
  
"Never in our lab," Sonic replied, crossing his arms and taking a look around. "This is just from the de-Roboticizor blowin' up?"  
  
"Most of it," the techie replied. "Some's just from me and Tails taking it apart to get at the melted bits." He motioned to the platform sitting at one side of the lab, most of its metal plates removed and several components ripped out of it.  
  
"As long as you know what you're doin'..." Sonic mumbled, shaking his head. _Techies._  
  
"Hey," Sonic suddenly spoke up. "Where're Bunnie and Sal? I didn't see them on my way in."  
  
"They went to Robotropolis to get parts!" Tails shouted quickly. Rotor slapped his forehead.  
  
"They did what!" Sonic shouted. "Just the two of them?"  
  
"_They_ didn't think it was that big a deal," Rotor replied.  
  
"What... But they..." Sonic fumbled for words. "Just the two of them. Not even Antoine?"  
  
"They left as soon as we checked the de-Roboticizor after the power test. Antoine wasn't even here, I don't think. Wonder if he even knows now...?"  
  
Sonic threw up his hands. The organization they had going on at Knothole was great. "And I suppose they told you to tell me not to try and follow them, right?"  
  
Rotor grinned. "You got it."  
  
"Fine," Sonic mumbled as he left the lab and started for his own hut. "I've got better things to do then worry about those two girls."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Getting into the adjacent warehouse had been the easy part; now Bunnie and Sally had to get across the street to the one they wanted, the one with the computer hardware. They had gotten to the roof unhindered, but now faced the task of passing right over the heads of the two SWATbots below without being seen. Several suggestions were batted back and forth until, finally, Sally decided on creating a diversion, then zip-lining across the power lines that stretched from each of the buildings. As the two SWATbots went to check on the disturbance down the street, the two slid over to the roof, which was a metallic hatch wide enough for one of Robotnik's cargo pods to enter.  
  
Wary of detection systems, they found the door to the interior and sneaked in, allowing their eyes to adjust to the darkness and not risking the light from a torch. Sally relied more on Bunnie here, who had learned to somewhat control her false eye's alternate modes, one of which was night vision. Sally used Nicole to guide them to the sector of the warehouse they needed, and were able to find Rotor's power converter in no time.  
  
"So what now?" Bunnie asked once they had acquired. "We just go back?"  
  
"What's the rush?" Sally answered. "As long as we're here we might as well get some of the other stuff we need, too. Nicole, please bring up Rotor's supply list."  
  
[Accessing, Sally.]  
  
A text file was scrolled onto the screen, and the two girls started looking. They were able to find another half-dozen of the parts needed for the de-Roboticizor before Sally decided they should start back to Knothole. They were half-way to the door when...  
  
"Sally-girl, ah hear somethin'."  
  
The princess stopped to listen, and could barely pick up the faint whine of a repulsor-drive engine. A big one.  
  
"Take cover," she suggested, and they found adequate hiding spots behind two packing crates. They watched as the retractable hatch on the roof was slowly drawn back, and one of the cargo pods Sally had thought about earlier descended to the floor of the warehouse. The main door slid aside and two SWATbots emerged, flanking the hatch and ordering two roboticized Mobians to come forward, carrying a large shipping container.  
  
[...and when you're finished with that one,] Bunnie could hear the metallic voice of one of the SWATbots, who was obviously in charge of the detail, [get started on the H-units. Everything in that pod must be unloaded.]  
  
The Robian answered something she couldn't make out, then the two set the box down and returned to the hold. Sally and Bunnie looked at each other, Bunnie's face showing concern. The princess replied with the hand motion that signified that they should split up and circle around to the door. She nodded her understanding, then hustled to the right wall of the warehouse, keeping her eye on the SWATbots near the pod. When she was in position she looked over to see Sally in the shadows, back to the wall.  
  
Bunnie tried to keep herself as hidden as possible as well. Sally tried to use Nicole on panel for the door, but they must have locked it before lowering the pod in. She turned to face Bunnie, pointing toward the pod. She immediately understood, and shook her head forcefully. Sally frowned and held up five fingers. Four.  
  
_Sally-girl, you're nuts,_ Bunnie thought to herself as she got ready to move. Three.  
  
The Robians were coming out of the pod again, carrying another box that looked like it weighed a ton. They came down the ramp, moving to place it near the others they had brought out. Two.  
  
The two 'bots set the box down on the floor of the warehouse, making hardly a sound except the echoing whirr of the servomotors in their limbs. One.  
  
The SWATbots weren't paying attention to the things around them, only to the workers. Sally gave the signal to act, and Bunnie ran for the hatch of the cargo pod, worrying more about herself than for Sally at the moment. Sally knew that Bunnie didn't use weaponry, and took that into account in her quick-thought plan. As the rabbit made for the pod, she provided cover with her pistol, waiting only a moment before laying strafing fire as she ran herself.  
  
When they were both inside and in relative safety, Sally slapped her hand on the panel to close the hatch. "Let's get out of here," she suggested, moving into the adjacent cockpit and taking a seat in the pilot's chair. Bunnie followed, finding a place in the co-pilot's seat. With Nicole's help she was able to find the correct switches for the pre-flight sequence. "Bunnie, try to find the remote control for the roof hatch. We'll need it open."  
  
"All right, ah'll try," she replied through gritted teeth. The SWATbots had started firing on the pod by now, and the craft rocked with each hit.  
  
Sally finished the pre-flight sequence, and yanked down on the lever that controlled the repulsor engines. The cargo craft bucked as it rose into the air. "Well, that's something. Bunnie, does this thing have weapons?"  
  
"Ah'm kinda busy, Sally-girl!" she retorted, her voice almost quivering from their predicament.  
  
Sally turned to her computer. "Nicole, switch to flight vocabulary and establish voice-command link with the pod."  
  
[Working, Sally...]  
  
Another hit which slid the pod backward, scraping the hull against the wall of the warehouse and overturning a stack of crates. The two girls screamed; Sally recovered and tried to stabilize the craft from dropping.  
  
[...Link established.]  
  
"Nicole," Sally shouted, then winced as they got hit again, "open the door to the warehouse!"  
  
[Complying, Sally... Security software encountered; attempting bypass...]  
  
"We don't have that kinda time, Nicole!" Bunnie screamed.  
  
Sally frowned and concentrated on flying, swiveling the pod around to face the SWATbots, manipulating the lever for the repulsors and dropping the craft almost to the ground. The four 'bots on the ground dove for cover, giving them the time they needed.  
  
[Security disabled; opening roof.]  
  
Sally craned her neck to look out the window and saw the retractable hatch on the roof slowly being pulled aside. The SWATbots saw it, too, and one of them talked into a wrist-mounted comm unit. "Hold on, Bunnie!" Sally shouted, gripping the controls. "This is going to be close!"  
  
Before the hatch had slid aside all the way she pulled back on the control yoke and hit the accelerator. The engines flared and the pod rocketed upward, juking from side to side as Sally tried to position their flight path between the two halves of the door. She ignored Bunnie's calls to her, putting all her focus into the task of getting them out of harm's way. She succeeded only in part: the right side of the hull gently bounced off the roof as they passed, forcing Sally to slightly correct her course. When they were a good distance from the warehouse the two of them allowed a sigh of relief, and Bunnie even a slight chuckle.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"They took what?"  
  
"A cargo pod, sir. I thought you might want to be informed of the situation."  
  
Doctor Robotnik sat back in his elaborate command chair, the fingers of each hand pressed together. "Unfortunate, but not unforeseen," he rumbled. "Did we pick up any telemetry from the cyborg?"  
  
"Very little, sir," Colin admitted. "Not enough that would be worth seeing, at any rate. We seem to be having a problem with the transmitter."  
  
"It's not yet fully developed," he mused, "but no matter. It will grow with time."  
  
"So you're... _not_ concerned about the pod, sir?" he swallowed.  
  
"It will make them easier to detect, Snively," Robotnik answered, using his new nickname for his nephew. Colin hated it, but why would he dare to correct him? "Let them take their prize back to their base, enjoy their little plaything. It will have a cost much greater than they can see."  
  
Snively scowled. Robotnik usually didn't have much foresight concerning the "freedom fighters," which is probably why he hadn't struck any decisive blows against them yet. If only he would think it through for a half-minute he would realize that now they could probably sneak through the entire perimeter grid by scrambling the pod's IFF signal, then take as much equipment as could fit in the hold. The Mobians now had virtually unbridled access to the whole of Robotropolis.  
  
"How goes the progress on Project: Doomsday?"  
  
"All the main ventricles have been completed and are being moved into place as we speak. Fifty seeker pods have been finished with another dozen by the end of the year. Perfectly on schedule, sir."  
  
"Very good, Snively. Have the workers who had been constructing the ventricles reassigned to the western coal fields. There have been too many attacks there recently; I'm losing miners."  
  
"Yes, sir," Snively replied, then turned and left the room, muttering under his breath.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic sat on the branch, leaning against the trunk of the tree and catching a nap during his turn at lookout duty. He never worried about what he might miss with his eyes closed; his hearing was better than perfect. And besides, Buttnik never tried anything, anyways.  
  
He sighed, his mind wandering to Sally and Bunnie. What were they trying to prove, going off on a mission without telling anyone? Without telling him? It's kind of hard to stay the main hedgehog with so many people going over your head.  
  
Sonic opened his eyes and looked around, if only to give the false impression that he was actually doing his job. Not seeing anything peculiar he went back to his rest, trying not to let the tumultuous events of the past month get to him. First Bunnie getting hit with that... whatever it was from Buttnik, then finding Uncle Chuck, only to lose him again. He sighed. Sometimes it could be too much, but what was he going to do, quit the war?  
  
The hedgehog smiled at his inner thoughts, then heard the faint humming coming from the north. He stood up on the branch to look down the path to Robotropolis, and what he saw made his blood turn cold: one of Robotnik's cargo pods, apparently battle damaged, heading straight to Knothole.  
  
"Oh, man, SWATbutts? I gotta juice!" He jumped to the ground and sped off in the direction of the camp. He reached the warning bell only moments before the pod was visible from the clearing, ringing it loudly enough to rally the freedom fighters to arms. Several Mobians were wielding pistols and rifles by the time the pod came to the compound, hovering over the center of the area before slowly setting down.  
  
Sonic watched nervously as the engines slowly shut down, then the hatch on the side of the craft slid open. There was a long pause before its occupants emerged, and not the squad of SWATbots that everyone had been expected. Instead came Sally and Bunnie, at first shocked from the weapons pointed in their direction, then laughing as they realized for themselves the absurdity of the situation.  
  
"Stand down, guys," Sally waved at them. "It's only us."  
  
"Sal, what's the deal?" Sonic laughed. "We thought... well, you _know_ what we musta thought!"  
  
"We were stuck in the warehouse, this was the only way out. Didn't seem like a smart idea at the time, but we were out of options."  
  
Antoine came forward, sheathing his sword, fuming. "My princess, I must object to your lack of dedication to _proceduaire_ concerning this mission."  
  
Bunnie came up to take him aside as Sally issued commands to those around. "Aw, relax, Antoine," she soothed. "B'sides, there's only two seats. If you woulda come with us, you'd have been bounced around in the cargo hold all the way back!"  
  
He scowled. "Oh, t'ank you for thinking of me."  
  
She planted her hands on her hips. "Antoine, darlin', yer not gonna be sore over a little thang like _this_, are ya?"  
  
His eyes still showed contempt, but his body slackened slightly. After a second a smile formed on his lips. "I am being ridiculous, non?"  
  
She nodded, a smile crossing her face as well.  
  
"I am sorry, Bunnie," he replied, hanging his head. She was always fascinated when he said her name, his accent emphasizing the second syllable instead of the first like most people. "I am just being _fyoolish_."  
  
"Not foolish, Antoine. Overprotective." He looked up at her. "Obsessively overprotective."  
  
He smiled even more. "Need to work on that, I guess, non?" He breathed deeply.  
  
"Antoine, if ya'll wanna help, c'mere an' give us a hand with gettin' this pod to the garage, all right?"  
  
Antoine agreed, and the two went off to help the others.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The rhythmic tapping of pencil on wood was the only sound to keep time in the vehicle garage of Knothole; all the tools were away, and the floor was empty. It had been years since the garage had last seen work, and their souped-up battle rover had seen its last battle long ago. It had been dismantled for parts -- parts which had never been needed since. The pencil stopped its metronome, furiously moving to rub out a section on the blueprint, then feverishly replacing the blank area with new lines. Kara Kincaid looked over the amendments, decided them satisfactory, then resumed her hitting the desk with the writing utensil.  
  
She still came to the garage, enjoying the _feel_ of the place, the smells of the various motor fluids, the dynamic echoes of sound in the large room. Forget her hut, this was her real home. She had occupied her time of late with an idea, actually building an airplane that she could use to make up for the current lack of work. Hey, if Rotor could get all these parts for the de-Roboticizor, why couldn't she get some stuff to build a plane? It would help the cause just as much, if she could convince Princess Sally of it.  
  
Kara put the pencil down, leaning back in the desk chair and sighing. Oh, the life of a freedom fighter... One of these days she would apply for field training, maybe get something to do. As of now she was bored stiff. She got to her feet and headed outside, pulling her cap down over her long ears. She had heard a warning bell being sounded earlier; maybe she would go see what it had been all about. What she saw made her giddy as a schoolgirl.  
  
She waved to them, nodded, then ran back into the garage. "Grease!" she shouted, opening the box for the main door controls. "Hey, Grease, get your butt out here!"  
  
"Eh, whaddya want?" came the disgruntled reply.  
  
"We actually got something to do, that's what!" she yelled back, slapping the switch to slowly raise the door and let the sunshine in.  
  
Without waiting, she went to the storage closet to get the pylons that could support the giant cargo pod being floated into the garage. She grabbed one in each hand, quickly hurrying to set them up. Grease soon saw the pod as well, arming two traffic control wands and waddling out.  
  
The two mechanics were able to get the cargo pod to come to rest perfectly in the vehicle bay, and they greeted Sally as she stepped out of the hatch. "Princess Sally," Kara greeted and bowed, "this is a pleasant surprise."  
  
"Hello, Kara," she replied and gestured to the pod. "This is a new toy we just got from Robotnik, without him giving it to us, of course. I need you to learn everything you can from it, repair the damage, and possibly outfit it with weapons for later use."  
  
"No problem," she gave a gloved thumbs-up. "Grease and I will take this thing apart and put it back together better than it was!"  
  
Sally nodded. "Glad to hear it. If you need any parts, just make up the list. We'll try to get them as soon as we can. Here are the keys."  
  
Kara took the control key ring from Sally and put it in her overalls pocket, watching her go. Not exactly field work, but it was something to do. She turned to look at the pod, seeing not a tool of destruction from Robotnik's empire, but an object of mechanical efficiency, one that she would soon rip open to see what makes it tick.  
  
"Whatta piece-a junk!"  
  
The rabbit frowned and turned to see Grease Monkey, hands on his hips, staring at the craft with a dissatisfactory scowl. "What do you mean, 'junk?'"  
  
"Just look at it!" the stout chimp-Mobian answered, gesticulating. "It looks like an overgrown egg with hover engines!"  
  
"I guess... But think of what it _could_ look like, after we're through with it!"  
  
"Oh, I like the way that sounds," he nodded. "A lean, mean, fightin'... egg with hover engines."  
  
"And a minigun."  
  
His eyes grew wide. "Oooh, minigun."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Tails helped Rotor clean up the lab for the better part of the day, then went to the hut he shared with Sonic to find him lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The fox doffed his jacket and through it in a chair. "Hey, Sonic, what's up?"  
  
"Nothin', little bro," he answered tiredly. "Just got a lot to think about."  
  
"Really?" Tails asked, jumping up on the bed. "Like what?"  
  
Sonic rolled over on his side. "Crazy stuff. You remember me tellin' you 'bout Uncle Chuck, right?"  
  
Tails nodded. "You said he got Roboticized, and that you guys saw him last week."  
  
"Yeah. I can't help but think that's there's somethin' we can do to bring him back to Knothole or somethin'."  
  
"Sonic, you can't bring a Robian to Knothole. That's just stupid."  
  
"That's what I keep tellin' myself. We _could_ have used the Roboticizor, but it'll be a while before we build that generator."  
  
Tails pondered. "Maybe you can give him his mind back. Aunt Sally says that Roboticizing doesn't take away someone's mind, just the ability to make decisions. If you could do that to Uncle Chuck..."  
  
Sonic's face lit up. "That's a great idea, little bro! I'll talk to Sally about it, then first thing tomorrow, you n' me are going to find him!"  
  
Tails looked shocked. "Ya mean it, Sonic? I'm goin' with ya?"  
  
He shrugged. "I don't see why not. We got in n' out of there pretty easy before, there should be no prob."  
  
The cub jumped up to embrace his friend. "Oh, Sonic! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  
  
"All right, buddy. But there's one condition... You gotta get a good night's sleep to be fully rested for tomorrow."  
  
It was the fastest Tails had ever willingly gone to bed. Sonic smiled, then leaned back on the bed. _Uncle Chuck, you're finally comin' home..._  
  


::END OF CHAPTER::

  
  
Revision history:  
08 /04 /04 :: added HTML formatting, revised Bunnie's accented dialogue (I was getting complaints from my southern girlfriend ) 


	4. 3235, Day 364 : Light

main chapter finished 10 /01 /03;  
reformatted: 12 /14 /03;  
revised/reformatted: 08 /04 /04

* * *

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**  
_Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux_

* * *

Year 3235, Day 364  
Light

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by applicable copyright laws... So there.  
  
Other characters:  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood, without permission.  
  
Kara and Grease (c) Antipode Echidna / Adam Czech. Please ask permission before using any of my charas, thanx!

* * *

"C'mon, Sal! Why not?"  
  
"You know why not: it's too dangerous!"  
  
"We didn't have a problem last time!"  
  
"Look, I'm not discussing this any more, Sonic. I have things to do. We'll talk about this later."  
  
"Oh, fine."  
  
_tap, tap, tap_  
  
"How 'bout now?"  
  
Sally slammed her clipboard down on her desk. "Sonic Hedgehog, if you keep this up I'm going to have to..."  
  
He inclined his head toward her. "Yes?"  
  
The princess was visibly trembling. She forced herself to loosen her jaw and breathe, remembering to count to ten before opening her mouth again. "Give me one good reason I should let Tails go with you."  
  
"We've been trainin' for two months now, I think little bro should get some field time in."  
  
"I agree, Sonic, but he's nine years old. He's too young to be going to Robotropolis."  
  
He crossed his arms and stared her down. "_I_ was goin' to Robotropolis when I was nine."  
  
She shook her head. "That's different."  
  
"How different?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows. "Just 'cuz we had six people then instead-a sixty?"  
  
"We were short of field agents then. We had to make do."  
  
"Whoa, what? 'Make do?'" Sonic gave a look of shock. "So that's what I am now: I'm a 'make do?'"  
  
"Sonic, that's not what I meant and you know it."  
  
"Ya know what I think? I think you're not givin' T2 a chance."  
  
She looked up from her desk, eyes ablaze. "And I think you're too anxious to throw him into the line of fire!"  
  
There was a moment of extremely awkward silence. "It's not like that, Sal," Sonic spoke first, his voice almost a whisper. "I'd look out for Tails no matter what. We all would. I wouldn't be askin' this unless I was really, _really_ sure I know what I'm doin'. I think he's ready."  
  
Sally thought it over for a long while. As most times, Sonic had a point. Tails had been proving himself at the field tests, very clever in his handling of situations. But Robotropolis... "All right, but one condition," she finally answered, unclipping her palmtop from her belt, "you take Nicole with you. She can handle Robotnik's computer system better than you."  
  
"All right!" Sonic yelled, grabbing Nicole and heading for the door. "Thanks, Sal. You're not gonna regret this!"  
  
She rubbed her forehead. "I hope not, Sonic. I hope not."  
  
Sonic was across the compound in the blink of an eye, finding Tails where he had left him, in the commons. He was hunched over a sheet of paper, pencil in his hand, feet swinging contentedly over the edge of the chair. "Hey, Tails! What'cha doin', buddy? Let's juice on outta here!"  
  
"Where're we goin', Sonic?" Tails put down the pencil, looking perplexed.  
  
"Robotropolis, remember? We're gonna find Uncle Chuck, just like I said."  
  
Tails' head fell to one side. "Sonic, ya said that a month ago. And almost every other day since."  
  
He held out his hands, palms forward. "This time I'm positive. I talked to Sal and got the whole thing figured out. Look!" he held out Nicole for Tails to see.  
  
"Wow, really? Goody!" Tails jumped out of his chair. "Let's go!"  
  
"Uh-uh, little bro," Sonic waved a finger. "What first?"  
  
"Um... Supply pack?"  
  
"You got it," he nodded and smiled. "Go get one, _then_ we can go."  
  
"'Kay!" he squeaked and ran for the supply hut. He quickly came back, trying as he did to fit his short arms through the straps of the knapsack. He finally succeeded, then looked up at Sonic. "Ain't you gonna get one, too?"  
  
"Nah, can't fit one with _you_ ridin' on my back, can I?"  
  
This was news to Tails, but he shrugged as if it were common sense he had known all along. Sonic crouched down, letting the fox clamber up into a comfortable position. "All right, little bro. You ready? Hold on tight, it's time to juice!" The hedgehog took off at top speed, Tails clinging on and screaming and having the time of his life.  
  
As they entered the north forest path Sonic flipped Nicole open. "Yo, Nicole. Wakey-wakey."  
  
[Unknown user pattern,] the computer answered in its monotone rendition of Sally's voice. [Please identify.]  
  
"Uh, it's me, Sonic. C'mon, you know me, don'cha?"  
  
[Processing...]  
  
Sonic looked behind his shoulder to Tails, who shrugged the best he could manage with his arms around Sonic's neck.  
  
[Voiceprint registry created. Greetings, Sonic.]  
  
"Geez, ya sound worse'n Sal! Loosen up a little, will ya?"  
  
[Editing voice set for current user... Yo, Sonic, my main hedgehog. What up?]  
  
Sonic was speechless. Never in a million years would he expected Sally's voice to ever utter those words, even in a mechanical device. Still, it was a welcome change. "That's better. Why don'cha gimme a map o' Ro-Buttnik's fortress, huh?"  
  
[No prob, Sonic.] From the front of the computer came the glowing map of the Imperial tower that Sally had used so many times before. Sonic looked it over. When they tried to get in a month ago there had been an old kitchen entrance they had used on the north side. Hopefully the SWATbots hadn't found that one yet, and they could still use it.  
  
"Hey, Nic, has Buttnik moved any of his troops since we were here last?"  
  
[Negative, Sonic. All troops are still in their previously recorded sectors.]  
  
"Good. One less thing to deal with once we get there."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"Now, remember buddy," Sonic whispered as they neared the tower, "you just do what I tell you, 'kay?"  
  
Tails nodded hard. The hedgehog peeked behind the corner down both sides of the street, then hustled across to the back door. Tails jumped off his back, and he crouched by the door panel. "Hey, Nicole, crack the door?"  
  
[Just a sec, Sonic,] the computer replied, starting the work to break the security code on the door so Robotnik wouldn't see them coming in. There was a pleasant-sounding beep and the lock clicked. Sonic opened the door and he and Tails hurried in.  
  
"Hey, Tails, you got a torch in that pack, right?" Sonic asked through the darkness.  
  
"Yeah, hold on," came the reply. He heard the rustling of fabric, then a _snap-hiss_ as the torch lit up the room. The young fox took a look around the dirty kitchen. "Eww, icky."  
  
"Good job, little bro. The door should be over..."  
  
Tails followed Sonic to the hallway, which was still dark from lack of power. Knowing there was no danger Sonic let him take the lead, using the torch to brighten the way. It made the cub feel important, which was what this trip was all about, right? Well, mostly.  
  
The two reached the elevator. "All right, T2. Time for what we talked about. Ready?"  
  
Tails nodded, then slipped off the pack and began rummaging through its contents. They had discussed on the way there how exactly they were going to get the elevator open, since before it had taken a freak occurrence to let them downstairs.  
  
_It was not a freak occurrence,_ Sonic still remembered Sally saying from that day. _It was my father, I'm sure of it. Somehow..._  
  
Yeah, well, dear ol' daddy wasn't here now, so they'd have to rely on their own devices. Speaking of which... "Almost ready?"  
  
Tails repositioned the torch so he could see better. "Almost..." So far he had found the spare batteries for the torch, and fastened them as best he could to a spool of spare wire. He brandished a screwdriver and attacked the elevator control panel, fumbling a bit but going faster than one would think with his limited training. He had the panel off in five minutes, poking into and staring at the mess of wires inside. "Rotor said... it was the blue one... I think."  
  
"You sure?" Sonic asked, crouching down to see inside as well, though he could make zero sense of it.  
  
"No."  
  
He shrugged. "Try it anyway."  
  
Tails squeezed his eyes shut as his wire cutters came down to _snip_ the wire he hoped was the main power circuit. Thankfully, nothing seemed to happen, so they pressed on. Tails took the crude battery pack he had built and tried to connect it to the wires in the panel. It fit, kind of, but it did the job anyway. The double doors _ding_ed and slid open.  
  
Tails disconnected the battery and peered into the empty shaft. "Um, Sonic? There's no elevator inside the... elevator."  
  
"Figures that would happen," he answered, coming up beside him. "There's a ladder inside here somewhere. Hop on."  
  
The fox slung the knapsack over his shoulders and jumped over to a ladder on the left side of the lift shaft, following Sonic down the four floors to the sublevel. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be, but he was still tired by the time they reached their stop.  
  
Sonic was already scanning the area with Nicole when Tails jumped out of the shaft. "You okay, buddy?"  
  
"Woo... Let's not do that again, huh Sonic?"  
  
"Sorry," he smiled wryly, "but that's how we gotta get back, too. That'll be the hard part."  
  
Tails would have fainted, by they didn't have time to screw around. Sonic called up Nicole's floor plan of that part of the tower, and they headed off down the hall, soon entering the area that still received power from the generators. Sonic told Tails to wait outside, then opened the large double doors that he knew would go to the construction area they had discovered before. Now, however, the large machine that had previously occupied the floor space had been removed.  
  
Sonic cautiously crept out onto the platform, looking down to see that the worker 'bots were gathered into groups of eight. A handful of personnel carriers were at the west side of the room, and a complement of SWATbots were bringing the workers into the back of the carriers. As soon as one was filled to capacity, it closed up and took off through a tunnel passage that Sonic guessed would go up to the surface somewhere.  
  
"What, the job's done already?" he whispered to himself.  
  
Tails heard him and peeked around the corner. "Where's Uncle Chuck, Sonic?"  
  
He began scanning the room. "Shoot, I don't see him. They must have shipped him off alread- Wait, no, there he is!" He spotted him in the group that was the farthest from the SWATbots. He took out Nicole and aimed it toward his uncle. "Nicole, take a picture."  
  
Something inside the computer clicked, then Sonic ducked back inside the doorway. "What're they doin' out there, Sonic?" Tails asked anxiously.  
  
"Looks like the 'bots are shippin' out," Sonic answered, his mind already formulating a plan. "You stay here, little bro. I'm goin' down there."  
  
"Be careful," Tails whispered after his friend as Sonic vaulted the railing and landed on the walkway below.  
  
He made his way to the edge of the catwalk, looking down almost directly on the group of workers his uncle was in. Sonic wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but like most things he did, he played it by ear. "Psst, hey Unc," he called down, but his voice was drowned out from the hum of the transports' engines. He tried again, hoping that somehow only Uncle Chuck would hear him and no one else.  
  
Realizing that it wasn't working, Sonic thought through plan B. Maybe there was a way he could separate him from the crowd, talk to just him without the SWATbots getting in the way.  
  
But he was too late. As he was thinking, the two SWAT-guards came over to the group, barked a series of orders and led the workers into the waiting carrier. Sonic watched on helplessly, wishing there was something he could do but knowing that he couldn't endanger his life, or Tails'. The door was slowly closed behind them, then the SWATbots went forward into the cab. The large double doors that led to the sub-tunnels were opened and the vehicle shifted to drive.  
  
Sonic just stood there, unable to act. Tails, however, had something else in mind. As the carrier pulled out into the tunnel he ran forward, bringing his arm back and throwing with all his might. He couldn't see if he had hit or not, but in a matter of moments all was quiet in the construction bay, and Sonic and Tails were alone.  
  
The fox hopped down to the lower platform, using his tails to slightly slow his descent. He came up to Sonic, who had slumped to his knees, staring at the closed tunnel door and blinking away tears. Tails reached up to Sonic's belt and unclipped Nicole, flipped it open. "Hey, Nicole? Can ya do somethin' for me?"  
  
[Unknown user pattern. Please identify.]  
  
He sighed. "Oh, come on. You don't need to do that. This is really simple. And kind of important."  
  
[Please identify.]  
  
"It's Tails."  
  
[Processing...] Tails tapped his foot in an accurate emulation of Sonic's impatient pose. Sonic, meanwhile, snapped out of his funk and tried to figure out what he was up to. [Voiceprint registry created. Greetings, Tails.]  
  
"Yeah, that's nice," he replied quickly. "Activate tracking mode."  
  
[Complying...] Nicole's screen now showed a grid-map, the center vertex a white dot for their position, and a blinking red dot showing...  
  
"Yes!" Tails thrust his fist into the air. "I knew that's what it was!"  
  
"That's what?" Sonic asked.  
  
He showed him the computer. "I threw a tracker onto that last truck! Now we can see where it goes!"  
  
The hedgehog's eyes widened and he laughed in disbelief. "Great thinkin', T2! Great thinkin'!"  
  
He smiled proudly. "Thanks."  
  
Sonic took Nicole back. "Sal's probably worryin' about us by now. We should get back."  
  
"Sorry we couldn't get Uncle Chuck back, Sonic."  
  
"Well, thanks to you, we won't have to start _all_ over on this stupid search. We'll get him back later. We'll get him later..."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
By the next morning most of the excitement of the mission had died down, but not before Sonic and Tails were able to personally tell everyone at Knothole what had transpired, greatly exaggerated as a matter of principle. Sally had requested a full debrief; Sonic had complied, and Tails offered what he could. She was as greatly impressed as Sonic with Tails' handling of the situation, and was anxious to hear how he had finally put his training to use. She had listened intently, taking notes on a piece of paper that, unknowingly to them, would go into Tails' new personnel folder for later use.  
  
They had hardly slept that night, but were still refreshed the next morning as they greeted everyone and had breakfast. Rotor was there; a rare occurrence, most of the time he was in his lab working on something, but today he took the day off. Most of the work on the new generator was progressing smoothly, and they were ahead of his projected schedule. "If we keep this up," he reported in between bites, "we can have that sucker done quicker than I thought."  
  
Sally came in, prim and proper, but in a better mood than usual. "Goood morning, everyone!"  
  
"Mornin', Aunt Sally!" Tails called out.  
  
She came over and kissed him on the head. "Are you ready for the big party tonight?"  
  
"Party?" Tails blinked.  
  
"New Years' party, remember, silly?"  
  
"Oh, yeah," he reached for another bite of cereal. "I thought ya meant _another_ party."  
  
Sonic smiled. With all the excitement of the mission the night before he had nearly forgotten that the year was almost over, which was odd considering that Sally had been reminding them about it for the past month or so. No matter what the situation was like at the base camp they always found time to set the war aside to let everyone relax. New Years' was traditionally the greatest Mobian holiday.  
  
"We'll start setting up once everyone's done with breakfast," Sally told them, standing. "And I expect you to help this time, too, Sonic."  
  
Tails spoke up before the hedgehog had a chance to protest. "And I get to stay up to see the Glow this year, right, Aunt Sally?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Sally teased. "You think you can stay up all the way to midnight?"  
  
"Course I can," he replied confidently. "Tell me 'gain what it's like?"  
  
"Well..." she answered, taking a seat next to Tails. "When it gets to be about midnight, we'll stand outside, and then you'll feel a _tingling_ all over your body," she demonstrated by tickling him and Tails giggled. "Then you'll see all the trees and plants, and bushes all glow bright green and light up everything!"  
  
That was, of course, the un-scientific explanation for it all. The reason for the natural phenomenon was that the distance between Mobius and the sun would be just right to trigger a radiation spike in all of the foliage on the planet. They had discovered long ago that it wasn't dangerous; in fact, it was actually beneficial to Mobian physiology. It seemed to come from the sun itself: for some reason that the Mobians hadn't discovered yet, on the surface of the sun there was a point where the solar rays were focused differently, thus sending a different type of solar radiation to the planet.  
  
"Wow... Really?" Tails' eyes were wide. "Then what?"  
  
She shrugged. "Well, then it will fade away and everyone will go to bed."  
  
"I'm not goin' ta bed. I'll stay up all night!"  
  
"All right, mister, but there's not going to be any party until we set up. You want to help?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Okay, let's go," Sally got up and Tails jumped after her.  
  
Sally's first stop was the vehicle garage. Since they had stolen one of Robotnik's cargo pods a month before, Kara had been busying herself with the task of upgrading its components in an attempt to make it more of a combat craft than a hauler. The princess had seen her work so far, and she thought the mechanic was making good progress. Sally opened the side door to the garage and stepped in, noticing at once the large egg-shaped hovercraft standing in the middle of the room. It was still recognizable as one of Robotnik's vehicles, but almost as obvious were the modifications made to it: a large repeating cannon was welded onto the right side, and the engines seemed to be highly altered.  
  
There was a blue light crackling on the opposite side of the craft. Sally called out and the light stopped, then Kara came over to them, removing her welding goggles. "Hi! What do you think?"  
  
"I think it's looking great, Kara," Sally answered, looking up at it. "You've put a lot of work into it."  
  
"That's for sure," she chuckled, brushing her gloves on her overalls. "Grease and I were able to make detailed schems on just about every component in the thing, too. That should help us later on."  
  
Sally nodded. "I'll need copies of those for my files. Safety procedures."  
  
"Hey, no problem. I'll get Grease on that. He's not much help anyway, the lazy bum." She turned and called into the hangar. "Yo, Grease!"  
  
He replied with his customary, "Eh, whaddya want?"  
  
"It's Princess Sally. She needs copies of our schems!"  
  
There was a pause. "All of 'em?"  
  
"Yeah, all of 'em! Get to work, slacker!"  
  
The chimp grumbled something unintelligible -- something that probably shouldn't have been heard anyway. Kara turned back to Sally. "Sorry about that. Some people don't like to pull their weight around here."  
  
"I know what that's like," Sally nodded, Sonic being the example that came to mind.  
  
"So, was there anything else you needed?"  
  
"No, I just wanted to see how you were doing on the pod."  
  
"Well, we're almost finished. We should be done in a couple weeks or so." There was a short silence as Kara debated whether or not she should bring up the other matter of business. "Um, Princess Sally? Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course, what is it?"  
  
She had been trying to figure out how to place her words, and they didn't come easily even now. "Well, um, I've been working on these prints for an airplane. Nothing too fancy, just to take people from place to place, but now with the cargo pod stuff we've got now..."  
  
"Kara, slow down," Sally put up her hands. "You said a plane? How long do you think it would take?"  
  
"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe six months, maybe a year, depending."  
  
"But do you think you could do it?"  
  
Tails appeared from around one of the pod's landing pylons. "A plane? I've always wanted ta fly in a plane!"  
  
"I could do it, I'm sure. I'd just be fighting Rotor for the raw parts, that's all. And maybe," she squatted down beside Tails, "this little guy could help with it, if he wanted."  
  
Sally smiled. "You'd be fighting Rotor for that part, too. Tails was helping Rotor with the de-Roboticizor."  
  
"Oh, we can figure something out, right, Tails?"  
  
He just grinned.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"All right, breathe in... and breathe out." Bunnie allowed herself to relax as Bookshire took off the stethoscope and set it on the table. "Everything sounds fine," he said as he turned to scribble more information on his sheet. "Are you having any problems?"  
  
"No more'n the usual, doc," she mumbled.  
  
He nodded. She said that every time she saw him, referring to her mechanical limbs. He imagined he was the only one in the camp with whom she allowed her cynicism to show through. If any attention was drawn to her... _alterations_ she would get angry -- whether at herself or something else he couldn't tell. At least around him she didn't have to broadcast the facade of "being fine" and let it out every once and a while. In his opinion, there was nothing beneficial to keeping it all bottled up.  
  
"That concludes the regular portion of our visit," he announced, reaching for a syringe lying on the table. Bunnie's right arm immediately tensed, knowing what was coming. Every New Years' now she had to go through more injections, another consequence of her modifications.  
  
Bookshire raised the needlepoint level to his eye and tapped it with a claw. She wasn't really sure of the particulars of it, but whatever effect the New Years' Glow had on Mobians it didn't sit well with her bionics. Without the shot of whatever-it-is the muscles around her implants would break out as they battled for control of her body, resulting in serious and perhaps permanent damage.  
  
Bunnie forced herself to look away as he dabbed at her shoulder with a cloth. "Just relax," she heard him say gently. "This will only prick for a second."  
  
"Yeah, ah know," she replied slowly. "Ya say that ev'ry time."  
  
"And every time it's just as true," he said as his skilled hand inserted the needle just under her skin. Bunnie felt a shiver run through her arm as she felt the contents being pushed into her body.  
  
"All done," Bookshire placed the syringe back onto the table. "The medication may make you a bit drowsy, but it won't kick in for about twelve hours."  
  
Bunnie glanced down at the red dot under her fur. "How long will it last?"  
  
"When you wake up tomorrow morning you'll feel perfectly fine," he answered, affixing a small bandage over the penetration. "Now go enjoy yourself. You've got a party to go to tonight, don't you?"  
  
She eased herself off the examination table. "Ain't ya'll comin' to the party, too, Bookshire?"  
  
"Oh, I doubt it," he turned back to his report to finish it up. "You kids don't need an old guy like myself putting dampers on things."  
  
"Well, consider me extendin' a proper invitation, then. I wanna see ya there an' I wanna see ya dancin'."  
  
He chuckled. "Doubt I'll be doing much dancing with my bad hip, but I'll be there, at least."  
  
"Glad ta hear it," she started for the door of the hut. "See ya, doc."  
  
"Good bye, Bunnie."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"Hey, Sonic, can you hand me those ribbons?"  
  
"These?"  
  
"Yeah, just throw 'em up."  
  
Sonic took the bucket by both hands and tossed it up to Rotor, who was on the top rung of a ladder propped up against a tree. The walrus caught it, then proceeded to tie a bunch of them to the branch he was decorating for the party.  
  
"Sonic!"  
  
He sighed, turning to face Princess Sally, who was on the roof of the commons and consistently called him in the tone of voice that got on his nerves. "What?"  
  
Because of his speed Sonic was constantly elected to be the "go-to on the ground" who got to run around to everyone's beck and call to do things for them. Sally took advantage of this by being more careless than usual just to poke his buttons.  
  
"I dropped the screwdriver," she called, pointing down to where it lay on the ground.  
  
"Again..." Sonic mumbled, picking it up. "You want to me to bring it up to ya, or ya want me to throw it?"  
  
"Just throw it's fine," she answered.  
  
Sonic's mind fabricated an image of a screwdriver throw that didn't go quite right, and he smiled. He tossed the tool up to Sally, who caught it in the air. "Thank you!" she smiled sweetly, again just to bug him.  
  
He walked out into the middle of the camp, taking in all of their progress so far. It was the middle of the afternoon, and he had to think they were almost done, although Sally probably had different ideas. Around the curve of the meeting hall appeared Tails, lugging a bucket that was almost as large as he was, most of its contents spilling out over the sides and onto the wooden platform. Sonic was glad that Tails got to help get ready for the big party because that meant that he himself didn't have to do that much.  
  
Sonic watched as the fox approached a small set of stairs that he could barely see around the pail. He made his way down carefully, one step at a time, then started off again across the compound. "Hey, little bro," Sonic greeted slowly as he passed.  
  
"Hi, Sonic," he managed in reply.  
  
"What're you up to?"  
  
"Gettin' water from the well for, _ah_, the kitchen."  
  
"Need any help?" Sonic asked as Tails tried shifting the bucket and almost fell over.  
  
"Nah, I got it."  
  
"All right," he watched him go warily. Tails had persistence, that was evident.  
  
Sonic watched as he disappeared through the kitchen door, appearing a few moments later with the empty bucket and running back to where he had come from.  
  
"Sonic!"  
  
Sally again. He turned and, as he expected, she had dropped her screwdriver from the roof once more. He sighed and went to pick it up. It was going to be one of those days.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Robotnik typed frantically into his computer, making another set of calculations in his formula. He cursed his procrastination. He had been too distracted by the infernal freedom fighters to realize the incompletion of his work. If he didn't finish in the space of the next few hours, he would have a replay of last year's fiasco, one that had almost cost him an arm.  
  
"The blasted radiation," he grumbled to himself as he worked. "The bane of my people."  
  
The New Years' radiation was killing off his race, the Overlanders. Through Robotnik's extensive research he had learned that his race was indeed much more different from the Mobians then at first had been thought. While the radiation was beneficial to their biological systems, it was exactly the opposite to his own. He was able to find a serum that had been developed long ago to block the effects on Overlanders, but had to modify it due to his cybernetic implants. So far he had been unsuccessful.  
  
He commanded the program to run, then watched with intent as the results were displayed to the screen. He scribbled down some key values, then prepared to enter more data. This had been going on for some time, with Robotnik still not pleased with any particular result. It took a while before he realized complete perfection was not possible, and he forced himself to choose the formula with the best predicted outcome.  
  
Robotnik took the completed serum and thrust the needle into his skin, injecting the medication into his bloodstream. Hopefully it would be enough to counter the radiation poisoning this time.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
With all of the work the freedom fighters had to do evening came quickly, and the sun set. The lamps around the courtyard were lighted, casting a warm glow on the Mobians as they gathered. Resources were such that most were wearing their usual day-to-day attire, but the general mood of all was one of lifted sprits.  
  
Sonic was there to chat it up with whoever came, but after an hour retreated to the punch table. Tails was there with a glass in his hands, watching the festivities from the sidelines. "Hey, buddy," Sonic called, getting a refill. "Havin' fun?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess," he nodded.  
  
"Too bad there's no kids your age 'round here, huh?" Tails stayed silent; he changed the subject. "Have you seen Sal around anywhere?"  
  
"Not really," Tails answered, scanning the crowd. "Maybe she left?"  
  
"Left?" Sonic echoed. "That's weird, this is her kinda thing, anyway."  
  
Sonic disappeared into the crowd, and Tails turned back to his drink. "Mmm, punch," he licked his lips.  
  
Sally came out of her hut, dressed in her blue vest and khaki pants, but now with a golden necklace that Tails didn't recognize. She came over to the punch table and got a glass, mind seemingly pre-occupied.  
  
"Hi, Aunt Sally," Tails greeted. "Sonic was lookin' for ya before."  
  
"Yeah, I bet," she mumbled. "He does this to me every year. Which way did he go?" Tails pointed into the crowd, not knowing what she was talking about. She thanked him and circled around the Mobians in the opposite direction.  
  
Tails watched her go and wondered. Grown-ups were weird.  
  
In the commons on the opposite side of the courtyard sat Antoine, dressed in his Imperial Guard uniform, which he had cleaned and pressed since noon. He wanted to look his best, despite the fact that he never did anything at New Years' parties. He watched as a feline couple made their way past on the walkway outside, laughing. It wasn't that Antoine didn't want to participate, but he was afraid of embarrassing himself in front of everyone, especially in front of the princess.  
  
"Hey, Han'some, what're you up to?"  
  
Even without turning there was no mistaking Bunnie's accent. "Oh, just seeting 'ere feeling sorry for myself," he sighed.  
  
"Mind if ah join ya?"  
  
Antoine turned to reply and hardly recognized her. Bunnie was wearing a navy blue evening dress that hung around her hips to her feet, and loosely covered her arms up to the elbow. With her left ear worn down over her false eye, barely any of her implants were visible. He found himself struggling for words. "Bunnie, you look... _magnifique._"  
  
"Oh, Antoine, stop it," she replied as she sat, then realized the complement was genuine. "Um, ah mean, thank you."  
  
"I must admit, for a moment I did not realize that it was you," he chuckled. "I 'ave nevair seen you dressed up before."  
  
"First time fer ev'rything," she replied, finding how uncomfortable she actually felt in the thing. "Why're you up here, anyway? Wouldn't ya rather be down there with ev'rybody else?"  
  
"I am contented to be with myself," he said simply.  
  
"Oh. Well, ah can leave if ya-"  
  
"No," Antoine said instantly. "That ees not what I meant. Please stay."  
  
Bunnie sat back down, noticing the tone in Antoine's voice, something that pleaded for someone to talk to, someone to be with. Maybe that's what he really meant, she thought: he would rather be by himself than with someone who wouldn't listen. She wondered how many of the freedom fighters actually took some time to talk to Antoine, get to know him. Certainly not Sonic, maybe not even Sally.  
  
"Antoine, if ya wanna talk... 'bout anything, really..."  
  
He smiled. "Bunnie, I could not bear to be unloading my own things onto you. Surely you have enough to be worrying about."  
  
She knew what he was referring to, but for some reason it didn't make her angry. Everyone seemed sincerely concerned for her at times, but somehow coming from Antoine it was even more so, as if someone cared about her _more_ than about themselves. As Bunnie thought about it, though, she found that she was offering something that had been offered to her once, an invitation that had never been honored.  
  
"Yeah, that's right," she replied after a moment of silent thought. "Ah do have things to worry about. But ah don't let that ruin my life, Antoine." She tapped her left-hand fingers together. "Ya know how much ah hate these things? Made it dang hard ta get inta this dress, ah'll tell ya that. Maybe it's time ah talked about it with someone, too."  
  
She couldn't believe what she was doing. She had never sat down to have a serious conversation with Antoine before in her life, and here she was spilling her guts to him. Maybe it was the pleasant atmosphere of the party, maybe the sincerity of his words, or maybe it was the medication kicking in, she couldn't tell.  
  
"So you want me to be talking to you?"  
  
"Only if ya want." There was a long pause that fell between them, and Bunnie sensed his hesitation. "Sally's got a sayin', I think she got it from her mom: 'If you won't do somethin', it means you're afraid.' What are you so afraid of, Antoine?"  
  
He thought about that one long and hard. "I am afraid... of failure, I suppose. If I try, per'aps I will only end up making a _fyool_ of myself."  
  
"And why would that be so bad?"  
  
He straightened in his chair. "It is not feeting of an officair of the Imperial Guard."  
  
"Antoine, we ain't officers of nuthin. We're just kids. You don't have ta prove yerself to anyone out here."  
  
"But I feel..." his voice trailed off and he unclenched his fists, "it is something that I _need_ to do. To carry out a tradition."  
  
Bunnie didn't have an answer for that one. She didn't know anything about traditions, or carrying on a legacy. She certainly wasn't the last of anything, and she didn't have that kind of responsibility. Her gaze wandered back to the crowd. "Looks like the dances are startin'."  
  
Antoine's head came up. "_Oui,_" he answered passively as he saw.  
  
Bunnie got to her feet. "Ah think ah'll head down. You comin'?"  
  
"I think I will stay 'ere a while longair."  
  
She turned to face him. "Would ya like ta come with me?"  
  
A look of surprise crossed his face. "With you as en 'with you' or 'with you' with-"  
  
She planted her hands on her hips. "Oh, Antoine, just invite me ta dance with you and stop worryin' about it!" Surprise turned to shock, and he couldn't get a complete phrase to come out. "Ah just asked _you_ ta ask _me_ ta dance. Now if ya cain't do _that_ ah'm sorry but there's little hope for you, Antoine D'Coolette."  
  
A smile finally broke through his clouded expression and he rose from his table, giving a bow. "Lady Bunnie, I would be honored if you would join me for this dance."  
  
She took his hand, a smile forming on her face as well. "See, now ain't that better?"  
  
His left hand moved to her side, and his right went to take hold of hers. He stopped half-way there. "Oh," Bunnie realized, noticing that it was her left hand he was going for, which succeeded in making both of them uncomfortable. "Maybe, ah, it'd be better if ah lead?"  
  
"I am thinking that would be best," he smiled to cover up his embarrassment, and they both switched hands. As Bunnie's claw dropped down to Antoine's side he realized that it didn't feel as bad as he thought it would. It wasn't a cold piece of hardware anymore, it was just... Bunnie. He looked up into her face, seeing that for the first time he could remember, she looked happy, and he as well.  
  
The two rocked back and forth on the dance floor for hours, ignoring the stares they only imagined were coming from the crowd.  
  
They had returned to the commons when they heard Sonic call out so everyone could hear, "Hey, it's almost time!"  
  
The Mobians became suddenly silent, as each stood and watched the forest around them. Sonic finally found Sally, who simply smiled at him in quiet anticipation. She could feel it coming already, and Sonic could, too. The only thing they could hear was the faint whistling of the wind through the trees.  
  
It began as a faint shine all around them, the kind that was only detectable through peripheral vision. It built in intensity, growing brighter until everything seemed to be tinted with the green of the forest. It was a strange light, one that could be _heard_ and _felt_ as well as seen. Its energy coursed through the bodies of the Mobians gathered, and most closed their eyes to focus solely on how it rippled over them.  
  
Those who did open their eyes would see the world around them in shades of black and green, so deep was the radiation's glow. They would feel as if they could do anything, but would not feel the need to leave their positions. How long it was before the electric feeling began to fade no one could tell, but when it finally did the Mobians opened their eyes, slowly as if from a trance.  
  
Gradually the conversations started up again, some heading back to their huts to turn in. Sonic and Sally could just look at each other before Sally silently turned and headed into the crowd to mingle. Sonic meant to ask Tails what he had thought, but as he neared the punch table he could see the little fox, head slumped forward onto his chest, his glass fallen to the ground.  
  
He smiled, then scooped the cub up into his arms, carrying him off to their hut. _Guess he couldn't make it to midnight,_ Sonic thought to himself. _Oh, well. There's always next year._  
  


::END OF CHAPTER::

  
  
Revision history:  
08 /04 /04 :: added HTML formatting, revised Bunnie's accented dialogue (I was getting complaints from my southern girlfriend ) 


	5. 3236, Day 168 : SOLO Part 1, Siege

main chapter finished: 11 /11 /03;  
reformatted: 12 /14 /03;  
revised/reformatted: 08 /07 /04

* * *

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS_**  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux

* * *

Year 3236, Day 168  
SOLO, Part 1  
Siege

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by spiffy copyright laws... Nyah, nyah.  
  
Other characters:  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood, without permission.  
  
Cornelius, Kara, Grease, and Tabitha (c) Antipode Echidna / Adam Czech. Please ask permission before using any of my charas, thanx!

* * *

Sonic approached the Elder Fortification as he had done countless times before, running the current message through in his mind. It was a status update to all the other rebel cells: they had just finished the generator for the de-Roboticizor and it was working fine. Now they just needed to finish the machine itself. He reached for his radio as he entered the clearing. "Hey, Rote. I'm here. Want me to head inside?"  
  
"Go ahead, Sonic," Rotor answered back. "Just make it quick."  
  
He scoffed as he put the radio back in his pack, remembering the time last year when they had a comm blackout because Rotor blew up the generator. Since then they didn't like to take chances with their agents in the field, especially when they were going it alone.  
  
Sonic approached the entrance to the catacombs, peering into the darkness inside. Usually Cornelius was here to greet him; he wondered if something was up. "Maybe he's just runnin' late," he mused, taking a seat against the wall outside and waiting. After waiting, though, Cornelius was still a no-show, and his impatient nature took over. He snatched up his radio again. "Yo, Rotor!"  
  
A beat of silence. "Yeah?"  
  
"Corny knew I was comin', right?"  
  
"He should have. I can check with Princess Sally if you-"  
  
"No, I'm just wondering. He has _never_ been this... un-punctual."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Rotor asked. "You heading back?"  
  
He grinned. "No way, buddy. If he just forgot, fine, but if somethin' bad went down here I gotta find out what it is."  
  
"Suit yourself, Sonic. But I'm not going to be the one to tell Sally you caused an incident with our comm people."  
  
"Hey, it's me," he did his best to assure him and replaced the radio again.  
  
Sonic slowly made his way into the tunnels, torch held high. He thought he knew where the communications room was -- after all, Cornelius had only taken him there several dozen times -- but after repeatedly finding himself at the entrance he had to applaud their defense system.  
  
_Okay, hedgehog intuition didn't work this time,_ he thought and reached into the pack for a short stick of chalk. _Time to rely on training._ And defamation of an ancient temple site, he also realized, but that couldn't be helped. Push the hedgehog too far and he starts scribbling on things.  
  
Using the chalk scratches as a guide as he explored, he was finally able to reach a set of stairs that led down to another floor of the Fortification. As soon as he reached level ground, however, he knew at once something was wrong. For one, there were black scorch marks painted on the walls and floor, and a thick dust coated the floor, from what looked like impact craters in the rock.  
  
He took a cautious step into the hall, knowing the site of a battle when he saw one. "Somethin' went down here all right," he whispered to himself, his voice hissing off the stones. On the plus side there were no bodies lying around; whoever was doing the shooting must have gotten away. Sonic started down the hallway, wondering how long ago the conflict had taken place. It didn't look recent, but the monks would have surely cleaned up the place by now, unless...  
  
Sonic quickened his pace now, senses alert. He had to find the control center and get some answers. Now he certainly didn't blame Cornelius for not meeting him, he and the brothers had more important things to deal with.  
  
He turned the corner that led to the communications room, hit with shock at what he saw. The disguised door had literally been torn off the wall and lay in two pieces on the ground. Even from this far away Sonic could see most of the equipment within was shattered and pulverized.  
  
He entered fearing the worst. Taking a look around, though, he found only the aftermath of whatever combat had taken place. Nearly all of the computer screens in the room were smashed in, and several of the components had been ripped out of the computers, rendering them beyond repair. Also amidst the wreckage were three crumpled bodies, dressed in the robes of the Fortification. One of them looked like Cornelius.  
  
Sonic slowly approached the body, prodding it with his foot. He pushed it over, turning it face up. "Ugh," Sonic almost retched. It was Cornelius all right, but his head had been removed.  
  
He quickly turned away, fighting to regain his composure. It took all his strength to keep from vomiting as he turned back to the corpse, crouching down to examine the wounds. Whoever had done it had used a long blade of some sort, probably a sword; the cut was clean. But there was something unusual: his neck around the cut and his shoulders were coated in a metallic alloy.  
  
Sonic recognized it immediately as the same shell that covered most of Bunnie's body. "Ro-buttnik was here."  
  
Somehow, he had discovered the Fortification and had Roboticized them. But what was he after? Sonic stood and looked around. The other two bodies had wound marks similar to Cornelius', which meant there had been someone else here, someone who fought well with a blade. If Robotnik had wanted to Roboticize them, he wouldn't send someone else to kill them on top of that.  
  
He crouched down to Cornelius' body again. "Sorry about this," he whispered to the headless corpse as his hands ran through his robe, "but I'm gonna need this stuff more than you."  
  
He found a portable computer and a data disk in the folds of the cloak, along with a cloth bag affixed to his belt; Sonic took these and stood. _Didn't he have a gun, too?_ he asked himself, looking around. He found it, not far from the body. It was an old slugthrower-class of firearm; Sonic opened it and found only two bullets in the magazine, one in the chamber. He guessed it had been fired when Cornelius was killed.  
  
Sonic sighed and examined the palmtop computer. "All right, let's see what's on this," he muttered and snapped the disk in. It loaded automatically, showing a video file that was made several days prior. It started, showing Cornelius' face as he looked down into the camera -- at least, he assumed it was; his skin was split in various places from veins of metal that wound around his features.  
  
"I leave this message for whomever will be unfortunate enough to discover the results of the attack on our stronghold. We were besieged by the forces of Robotnik on day 159 of the year 3236. He destroyed our equipment, then injected all of us with the Roboticizor formula; I fear we don't have much time left.  
  
"If I or my companions attacked you as you entered I feel the need to apologize. The doctor tells me we only have a couple of days before the Roboticization is complete enough that we will lose all control of our reasoning processes. If you find this message, I implore you to seek out the power generator for this facility and the others on the network and keep them from the hands of Robotnik at all costs. If they fall to his hands there is no telling the evil he can unlock with them.  
  
"This computer contains a map of the Fortification. All of the doors can be opened with these," he paused, holding up in his hand what looked like a small golden ring. "Thank you for helping us, and Godspeed."  
  
The message ended, and Sonic slid the computer into his pocket. Inside the bag he found the rings Cornelius had referred to. He turned one of them over in his hands, examining it. It was simple, really: about six or seven centimeters in diameter, maybe half a centimeter thick, just large enough to hold in one's hand. As he gripped the ring Sonic could almost feel a kind of energy pulsing from it, as if there was something more to it than mere jewelry.  
  
Sonic stepped back out into the passage, tapped the buttons on Cornelius' computer until he found the map of the catacombs. Now that he knew where he was going the maze didn't seem all that imposing. He headed off toward a chamber the map marked as generator room, deep within the interior of the Fortification. He took inventory, realizing that the batteries on his electric torch might not last long enough, and decided to extinguish it in favor of one of combustion models lining the walls.  
  
Deeper into the Fortification he went, part of him wondering if he should head upstairs first to tell Knothole what was going on. He chose to keep going. _This shouldn't take too long, anyway._  
  
According to the map display, the generator was on roughly sublevel three, about twenty feet underground. By the time he reached the stairs the air around him had already grown musty and cold. Sonic hunched over and shivered, wishing he had brought a jacket or something. The ground began to shake, and it took him a moment to realize it wasn't because of him. The entire cavern was quaking.  
  
Sonic braced himself for what was coming, but was still thrown backward as the wall in front of him exploded. He hit the floor hard, and looked up to see what had happened. There, in the midst of a cloud of dust, was a steel machine. It was constructed from several round nodes that snaked end-for-end for a three-meter length, and had spinning drill bits at both ends. It positively reeked of Robotnik.  
  
The 'bot's eyes slowly tracked Sonic as he grabbed for Cornelius' pistol, leveling it and firing off what was left of the ammunition. The first shot went wide and hit the wall, the second and third merely ricocheted off the metal armor. It didn't take him long to realize why the monks had been defeated so easily.  
  
The driller lunged. Sonic dropped his torch and threw himself to one side, hurling the weapon at the 'bot as he did so. It connected with the steel skull with a crack, and Sonic could tell that some damage had been inflicted. He ran toward it while it was incapacitated, leaping forward and planting both feet firmly into its head. It shattered quite nicely, the body quivering and sparking before lying silent.  
  
Sonic stepped out of the remains of the machine, dusting himself off. It wasn't too difficult an opponent, but still one that he had never seen before. It obviously wasn't a Robian; there wasn't anything natural that grew as big. Maybe Robotnik was turning to more conventional robotics for his new wave of troops. Definitely something to tell Sally about.  
  
The hedgehog retrieved his torch and continued down the passage, able to reach the generator without further altercation. As a contrast to the communications room this door wasn't disguised in any way; it was grand and ornate, almost wanting to draw attention to itself. He approached it carefully, scanning its surface for any way to open the thing. There were strange etchings along its surface, possibly the language used by the temple's original inhabitants?  
  
Near the middle, though, was what interested Sonic. Five circular carvings, arranged in a pentagon, only a centimeter thick. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what went in them. He opened the cloth bag, removing five of the rings. There was one left; he put it and the bag away. Sonic placed a gold ring in each of the carvings, stepping back quickly as the fifth was inserted. At first nothing happened, then each of the rings started to glow brightly, so bright that it hurt his eyes to look at them. When the glow faded Sonic looked again, seeing that the rings had apparently melted away, and cracks were flashing along the door's etchings. With a tremendous rush of stale air the pieces of the portal receded into the wall space, allowing him entry.  
  
He would have taken some time to marvel at what he just saw, but he was more intrigued by what lay within. A walkway led from the door to a bronze pedestal, surrounded by lights that seemed to have no apparent source. Sonic slowly came forward, now noticing what was on the platform. It was an emerald, perfectly shaped, glowing with an internal light. He reached out a hand, feeling some kind of power coming from it, similar to that from the rings. He placed his hands around the emerald, with a jerk lifting it from its place on the pedestal. At once the lights around the room died. "Hope I didn't mess somethin' up," he muttered, casting glances around for hidden traps, but it appeared that he was safe for the moment.  
  
"Whoa," he whispered, noticing the emerald's state. The glow was pulsing now, the light throbbing like the emerald was a living thing. He could feel the energy coming from it now. It was intense, almost intoxicatingly pleasing. "Like New Years' all over again," he grinned, deciding to put the jewel into his pack to keep it from distracting him.  
  
Now all that was left was to leave without attracting any more of Robotnik's goons. That was executed easily enough; the killer caterpillar seemed to have been the only 'bot left inside. He pulled out his radio as he exited, the speaker immediately crackling and a familiar, bored voice issuing forth: "...onic, Sonic, Sonic, Sonic, Sonic..."  
  
He chuckled. "Tails, is that you?"  
  
"Oh, he's here!" the kid shouted. A lot of fumbling sounds followed, then Rotor came on.  
  
"Sonic, where have you been? We've been trying to reach you for the past ten minutes!"  
  
He didn't see the point of beating around the bush, so he went right to it. "Cornelius is dead."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Ro-buttnik found out about the comm network, and everyone's dead. Put Sal on."  
  
Silence as Rotor tried to figure out what to do. "O-okay, just hold on."  
  
More waiting. Sonic tapped his foot until Sally's voice came out over the speaker. "Sonic, what happened?"  
  
He told her everything that had occurred in the catacombs, including the attack by the "cater-killer." "...and Cornelius said that the other guys on the network might be in trouble, too."  
  
"As much as I hate doing this, I'm going to send you."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"It would take days to launch another team from Knothole, and time is of the essence. The Marble Garden Observatory is a dozen klicks east of you. Head there first. Just tell them who you are, you should have no problem."  
  
He had half-expected her to order him back to base. "Wow, thanks, Sal. Don't worry about it. I'll be back before you know it."  
  
"Just try to stay out of trouble. Knothole out."  
  
Sally put the radio back on the desk in Rotor's workshop, proceeding to exit and return to what she had been doing. She found Bunnie in the vehicle garage between the cargo pod and Kara's nearly-finished passenger plane, the "Freedom Stormer." She looked up as Sally entered, seeing the look on her face.  
  
"Our network's been compromised," she answered solemnly. "Sonic's looking into it. Where were we?"  
  
"Talkin' about the pod," Bunnie answered, concern edging into her voice.  
  
"Right," Sally rubbed her forehead. "Kara, can it fly tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure, no problem. All the mods have been tested thoroughly, you should have no problem."  
  
"Wonderful. It's all fueled and everything?"  
  
The mechanic nodded. "Everything's been repaired from the last trip. It should be no different from last time you flew it."  
  
Bunnie looked down from examining the craft. "Have you done anything with the cannon?"  
  
Her brow furrowed. "I was able to squeeze a little bit out of the fire rate. I know how hard target practice was when you used it, Bunnie, so you should recognize the difference."  
  
"Good," Sally nodded. "That will be just fine. We'll take it out tomorrow morning at first light."  
  
"Just where're we goin' again, Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked as they were leaving the garage. "Ya didn't really make that clear."  
  
"I was looking through my records last night, and I found a recon report from last year that said the eastern Sophia district was almost untouched by Robotnik's drones. If I remember correctly, my father had a villa by the lake up there. There might be something we can get from it."  
  
"What do ya expect to find?"  
  
"Right now I'm not really sure," she shook her head. "Possibly some information about what happened in the palace up until the coup. Best case I can get more information on the freedom fighter network. That would help us strengthen our ties to the other cells." Her thoughts went to Sonic's mission. "And unity is one thing we need right now."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic reached the Marble Garden late in the evening. As he cleared the forest he could immediately tell something was wrong, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw two bee-shaped robots hovering around the standing stones marking the entrance to the site. He came in slowly, careful to avoid detection.  
  
That did little good, however, when the ground gave way under him and he shouted in surprise. Another caterkiller had emerged from the earth, and now eyed Sonic warily. "Oh, you guys again," he grunted as he rose to his feet. "Just won't take a hint will ya?"  
  
The 'bot's simplistic programming told it to lunge, and the hedgehog's instincts told him to jump. A swift kick to the head and the insectoid was put out of commission.  
  
"Aw, shoot," Sonic looked up and saw the two bees he had seen earlier now heading in his direction. "So much for bein' stealthy."  
  
The bombers had something like cannons built into their torsos, which they swiveled to bear as they approached. When they were within range they opened up on Sonic, tearing up the ground with laser fire. He quickly threw himself into a dodge, rolling into a crouch a few meters away. He looked up in time to see the buzz-bombers circling around for another pass. "I'm wastin' too much time fightin' these goons," he growled and took off in the direction of the Observatory.  
  
The only building he could see was a dome-shaped structure in the center of the rows of trees; he ran through the door and closed it behind him. The place was much more peaceful inside. The lobby was set up like a greenhouse, with rows of small plants on the walls and a slight mist hanging in the air. Sonic slowly entered, looking around the room and wondering where everyone was. _Probably hiding,_ he thought. "Hello?" he called, his voice echoing in the space. "Anybody home?"  
  
There was a desk at the far end of the room, empty. Sonic hoped to find a map of the place behind it, but no such luck. He sighed and looked for a way to go. There were stairs to the left and right, but where they led he didn't know. He decided to go left, and found himself in a basement hallway that stretched into darkness. He sighed and reached for his torch again. "Anybody here? Anyone at all?"  
  
No answer. Whoever was supposed to be running this place was hiding pretty well. He started off down the passage, keeping a look out for someone -- anyone -- he could get some answers from. He followed the corridor as it opened up into what looked like a hydroponics bay. "These people sure love their plants," he observed dryly. From there he had three new ways to go, and getting more and more ticked with the guy who had built the place.  
  
Sonic looked around, remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. He took a time out, sitting next to one of the planters and reaching into his pack for a ration bar. He tore off the wrapper and took a bite, trying to chew on the side of his mouth to avoid the taste. When he heard the rustling of the leaves around him, at first he thought nothing of it, then realized there was someone else with him in the room.  
  
He jumped to his feet, looking around, but seeing no one. "Hey, who's there? I'm with the freedom fighters. I came to help!"  
  
The sounds faded. Sonic heard what sounded like whispering, but with the constant hum of the misters around the room he couldn't be sure. He heard someone standing behind him, and spun to see a figure dressed in a white robe, a sidearm unsubtly strapped to one hip in plain view. "Come with me."  
  
She crossed the room, stepping into one of the plant beds by the wall, reaching down and lifting a hatch disguised as topsoil. "The rest of you stay here," she ordered into the room. Sonic looked around, unable to see anyone, then followed her down a ladder.  
  
He ended up in a control room that looked vaguely similar to the one at Emerald Hill. As soon as he hit the floor he was flanked by two men who frisked him over. "Hey!" Sonic protested, but they paid no heed. They removed his knapsack and flung it to the ground, where another white-robed individual started going through it. The fox who had led him down stood watch idly, hood back and arms folded as the examination was executed.  
  
The young fur who was going through Sonic's pack was able to find Cornelius' cloth bag, and the emerald. He handed them to the overseer, who peered down at them, extracting the last golden ring from inside the bag. Her head came up to glare at him, eyes ablaze. "Where did you get these?"  
  
"Hey, what's the big deal?" Sonic strained against the grip of the two men, who had him pinned against the wall. "I came here to help you guys!"  
  
"We'll see about that, thief," she hissed back. "Now where did you get these!"  
  
"Cornelius gave 'em to me!"  
  
She scowled. "Cornelius of Emerald Hill? Why would he give something of this importance to you?"  
  
"He's dead! Now will ya let me go and I can explain!"  
  
She gestured and the two men released him. He shot one a dirty look as he began to tell them what had happened earlier that day.  
  
"We feared as much," she sighed when he had finished. "We didn't think an attack like this would be an isolated event. Right before Robotnik clouded our communications we were receiving reports from all the centers that they too were under siege. You will forgive us for our heightened scrutiny, but we had to make sure."  
  
"Hey, no prob," Sonic shrugged his knapsack back on. "Just tell me what I can do to help."  
  
"My name is Tabitha, I run things here," she said, handing the objects back to him. "We're not sure whether Robotnik is attacking us because of our link to the freedom fighters, or if he knows of the Chaos Emeralds that are hidden within the ancient passages. In either case, we had taken steps to secure the lower levels against his robots, but it wasn't enough. He was able to break in and take several of our artifacts, including the Emerald, then leave. What you saw outside was the part of his attack force left behind to keep the rest of us from following."  
  
Sonic sighed. "He's got it already?"  
  
The vixen nodded. "As soon as they pulled out they boarded a transport and headed northwest."  
  
"Toward Robotropolis. How long ago was that?"  
  
"About an hour."  
  
"That doesn't give me much time," he turned and headed for the ladder. "Thanks for the info, Tabs. If I juice outta here now I should be able to get your emerald back before Ro-buttnik gets his hands on it."  
  
"Sonic, wait!" She produced a bag similar to the one Cornelius had. "Take this," she said, taking three rings out and offering them with outstretched hand. "You may find these useful."  
  
He took them and put them with his others, then climbed up the ladder and returned to ground level.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic spent the rest of the night heading for Robotropolis, trying to find some trace of where the carrier had gone. He slept under the open sky, staring up at the stars. When day broke he was off again, hot on the trail.  
  
Back at Knothole, Sally and Bunnie got ready to launch the cargo pod, which Kara had christened the "Trojan," since its job was to sneak into enemy lines. The two left as soon as they could, ascending past the tree line and heading north. With any luck they could circle around to enter the city from the east, find the Royal Family's villa and get out quickly.  
  
On the way they ran through basic in-flight procedures, making sure both of them knew what the heck they were doing. When they finally approached the city limits Sally activated the craft's IFF signal, which identified them as one of Robotnik's cargo craft. Even with the external modifications they hoped that they wouldn't be detected by any sentries until they were out of range of their weaponry. She came in as low as she could manage, through the unsuspecting perimeter towers and over the shore of Lake Azure, which bordered the city on the east. Sally remembered when her family would take trips up to the villa, and she would look out over the lake every night, watching the sunset. Now in the morning light it reflected almost nothing, and its surface was black and sickening with Robotnik's pollution.  
  
When she was positive there was no one watching, she set the pod down in the middle of the cracked rubble of the street, powering down the engines before leaving. Even through all the destruction she still knew the area well, and what she couldn't recall Nicole could fill in. They quickly located the villa, now a quiet husk of stone at the edge of the blackened lake.  
  
They entered slowly, reverently, all the memories of the place coming over Sally like a wave. So many times she had wandered these halls as a child, and now it seemed like so long ago. Bunnie left her to her introspection, looking around the place and imagining its past beauty.  
  
"Someday," Sally's quiet voice split the air, "when Robotnik is gone, I'm going to rebuild this place. Nothing this grand should be left to waste like this."  
  
Bunnie nodded. "Good idea, but let's get yer dad's stuff an' get outta here first, 'kay, Sally-girl?"  
  
"Right. This way."  
  
She found her father's office where she remembered it: second floor, down the hall, second to the last door on the right. Max had always kept his doors locked, so Sally was surprised to find this one open; that surprise faded when she saw that the door had been kicked in. She sighed as she saw the room. Apparently looters had thought of getting some booty off the Royal Villa, and several of the furnishings had been smashed or taken.  
  
Sally stood in the doorway, her eyes eventually falling to the pulverized computer sitting on the remains of a desk. She released a heavy sigh. "So much for that idea."  
  
Bunnie saw the source of her lament. "Did yer dad keep any backups?"  
  
"He should have," she answered, eyes traveling the room. "But I would have no idea as to where they were kept. He was bound to have some in the Palace, but they're probably long gone."  
  
"I'll take the closet," Bunnie smiled hopefully. The two fanned out, searching the room centimeter by centimeter for anything that could be salvaged. They eventually moved to the next room over, the master bedroom. It was a slow job, but Bunnie finally spoke up from a corner of the expansive closet.  
  
Sally came over to look, as Bunnie yanked out a section of the floor with her left hand. The space had obviously been cut out earlier, and had rotted slightly with time. Sally got on her belly and reached down, wincing as she felt things she didn't want the description of. "I got something!" she soon called out, easing out of the hole a small cardboard box, its edges falling apart.  
  
"A shoe box?" Bunnie raised her eyebrows as Sally set the box on the floor.  
  
"Father always was a little unorthodox at times," she answered, lifting the lid and revealing the data tapes inside. "There they are. I can get Rotor to copy these to Nicole later."  
  
Sally would have liked nothing more than to look through the old house some more, try to find some more things worth bringing back to Knothole, but as Bunnie reminded her they were working on borrowed time. They took the tapes and hurried back out to the pod, and she strapped in and initiated the pre-flight sequence. No sooner had the electronics warmed up than a shrill beeping sounded from the control panel.  
  
Bunnie looked down at the radar grid. "Sally-girl, we got incomin'!"  
  
She looked over at the panel as well as she eased the pod into the air. "Aerial fighters. I guess we attracted Robotnik's attention, after all. Arm the cannon Bunnie, at least try to keep them off our backs while I get us out of here."  
  
"On it," she answered, lowering a targeting computer from the ceiling and peering into it.  
  
They had just cleared the rooftops of the houses around them when Bunnie made visual contact, swiveling the turret and firing into the swarm of fighters. They scattered; she made a rough estimate of half a dozen, maybe eight craft.  
  
Sally wheeled the pod around and headed for the outskirts, doing her best to evade the enemy from targeting them. She tried to keep the fighters out of her mind while she flew, but Bunnie kept a close eye on them. They circled around behind them, forming wings again and opening fire. Several of the blasts hit their hull, and an explosion almost rocked her off her chair.  
  
A whooping siren screamed from somewhere. "Engine's are hit!" Sally announced. "I can't keep it up!"  
  
Bunnie looked up from her visor. The ground now covered the viewing area of the windshield, and it was approaching fast.  
  
"Head to the back! We can try to ditch!"  
  
Bunnie un-strapped from her chair and swiveled around to get out, but it was too late. The cargo pod slammed into the ground, rolling onto its side as it slid across the pavement. Sparks traced the craft's path as its hull ground into the street and into an abandoned house. It slowly rocked before finally staying still.  
  
Sally was the first to open her eyes, aware a pounding pain in her forehead. A thick smoke clouded her vision as she looked around, seeing how the windshield had shattered in and several of the consoles were smashed. "Bunnie?" she called, his voice weak. "Are you alright?"  
  
In the copilot's chair Bunnie stirred. "I think so," she groaned, struggling to sit up. She was sitting backward in the chair, thrown against the console upon impact. The controls around her were a mess and part of the bulkhead on the copilot side was crumpled. And as she tried to move her left arm, Bunnie realized that it had been pinned down against the wall.  
  
"Sally, I cain't..." she tried pulling at it with her free hand, but it wouldn't budge.  
  
"They're coming back around," Sally spoke softly, looking out the window. "Can you move it at all? Does it hurt?"  
  
Bunnie could see the fingers on her left arm flexing. "I can move it, but I'm pinned."  
  
The fighters were getting closer, and it would only be a matter of time before the SWATbots showed up, too. Sally turned from the window to help her friend, but there was nothing they could do to get it free. "Just leave me, Sally-girl," she finally said. "You don't have to risk yer life for me."  
  
"Shut up, Bunnie. I'm not leaving you." She began searching the pod for anything she could use to cut through the hull. In the back she was able to find an emergency axe bolted to the wall. She brought it into the cockpit. "Watch your head, Bunnie," she warned, bringing the blade down on the part of the bulkhead that was pinning her arm. It connected, but bounced off with a sharp ringing. She tried again, but the metal was too thick.  
  
She stared down at the axe in her hands, then at her friend. There had to be something she could do...  
  
"Take my arm."  
  
The princess looked down at her. "What?"  
  
"You said it yerself, Sally-girl," she said, her voice coated with imperativeness, "the 'bots're comin'. Take my arm off with that thing'n let's get outta here."  
  
"Bunnie... Are you sure?"  
  
"Hurry up, before I change my mind!"  
  
Sally hesitated, trying to think of a better way. She couldn't. She sighed and lifted the blade, eyes filling with compassionate tears. "Forgive me."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic had found the personnel carrier early that morning, as it was passing through a canyon on its way to Robotropolis. Lucky for him, too, it made for an easy way to jump onto it and get inside.  
  
He saw that all the assault 'bots inside the craft were dormant as he made his way through the carrier, which was good. In fact, he didn't see anything moving around; the hovercraft seemed to be flying itself. It didn't really surprise him, though: if Robotnik made it, it would make sense that it would be brainless.  
  
At least the ship seemed to have some kind of pattern to its layout, so he didn't get lost wandering around. There was a main corridor that ran through the interior, with all the rooms branching off of it. He found what looked like the hibernating area for the assault 'bots, some kind of engine room, and a control center, but he couldn't find any place that looked like a cargo room, or any other place to put Chaos Emeralds.  
  
From the front to the back he searched, eventually finding that there was a room he constantly passed over, since it looked like a closet. Seeing how it was the only door he didn't look in yet, he decided to try opening it. He found that its plain design didn't truly reflect the size of the room within, as it seemed to occupy at least a quarter of the craft's space. Inside were stacks of miscellaneous crates and boxes, and more ancient artifacts than Sonic had ever seen before. It was obvious Robotnik was taking more than the Emeralds from the monasteries.  
  
Now that he had narrowed his search substantially he was able to find a pile of artifacts that bore etchings reminiscent of those he had found at the Emerald Hill site. There amid the loot were two more Chaos Emeralds -- at least, they looked in shape like the emeralds, but these were colored differently, one a reddish tint and the other blue. _Why would they just throw them in here?_ Sonic asked himself as he picked them up. _Maybe Buttnik doesn't know about the Emeralds after all?_  
  
Sonic was counting on being assaulted with 'bots by the time he exited the storage room, but he got no such luck. "The security on this place really sucks!" he shouted out loud, kind of wishing the 'bots would wake up and give him something to do. Instead, he opened up the escape hatch and jumped out, landing safely on the ground and watching the carrier fly away, its payload now two crystals short.  
  


TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. 3236, Day 170 : SOLO Part 2, Search

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux

* * *

Year 3236, Day 170  
SOLO, Part 2  
Search

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by spiffy copyright laws... Nyah, nyah.

* * *

Other characters:  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood, without permission.

* * *

Sally went silently into the medical hut, drawing the attention of Bookshire and Rotor. "How is she, guys?"  
  
The doctor sighed. "Stable."  
  
"The nanobots in her system have already closed up the wound," Rotor reported. "But her robotic arm is gone. There's no replacing that."  
  
The princess' gaze fell to the body lying on the examination table, her dear friend Bunnie. She was sedated for now, an attempt by Bookshire to try slowing her systems so they could see more accurately what was going on. Bunnie Rabbot was the first known subject to be Roboticized -- even partially -- and still retain their consciousness. How the process worked was a mystery of cybernetics, so anything he would try would be experimental.  
  
"Could we try prosthetics?" Sally suggested.  
  
Rotor thought about it, then shrugged. "Not sure. We would have to attach them to the mechanics already in her shoulder, and that would take studying them. Besides... I don't think Bunnie would be too keen on that."  
  
An awkward hush fell on the room, broken periodically by the tones from the bio-monitors. When Sally spoke, her voice was lowered to a whisper. "Just do what you can."  
  
She stepped out into the courtyard, the hectic events of the past night finally catching up with her. After the cargo pod had gone down, she had managed to find a ground speeder in one of the garages nearby. Hotwiring it had been easy, and she had gotten Bunnie to Bookshire's as fast as she could. Sally looked into the flickering flame of one of the torches surrounding the camp, bringing up the image of the burning pod illuminating Bunnie's face, reflecting off her false eye. She remembered her anguished expression as she clutched her left shoulder, the dark lubricant fluid seeping between her fingers. She had asked if it hurt at all, and Bunnie had replied calmly, almost matter-of-factly:  
  
"I cain't feel a thing, Sally-girl. Machines don't feel pain."  
  
"You're not a machine, Bunnie," she had replied. "You're flesh and blood."  
  
She had removed her hand from her shoulder, holding it between them as the oil dripped from her fingers. "Does this look like _blood_ to you?"  
  
Sally shook her head to clear it. She had never seen Bunnie the way she had been that night. It was a side of her that she had never let Sally see before, and now that she pondered it, the strength of her emotion was somewhat disconcerting, almost disturbing.  
  
She glanced back at Bookshire's hut, hoping that somehow... what? What did she hope would come out of this? That Bunnie would somehow forgive what had happened? No, the damage was already done, and could not be reversed.  
  
Sally collapsed into a chair in the commons, propping her elbows on the table and holding her head in her hands. How could Bunnie forgive what she did to her? _She_ was the reason. It was _her_ crazy chase for her father's files that had caused the crash, it was _she_ who had been holding the axe. In every sense of the word, she was at fault.  
  
Her shoulders gently shook with quiet sobbing. What kind of leader was she, that even her closest friends were susceptible to life-threatening danger? What if it had been Rotor in that copilot's chair, or Antoine, or Sonic? They may not have even survived impact, nonetheless having their arm severed. Was the fact that it was Bunnie's bionic arm, and she had not died, that Sally felt somehow less responsible? Did she view Bunnie as... expendable?  
  
Sally knew the answer, but couldn't bring herself to admit it. She eventually succumbed to her weariness, lowering her head to the table and falling asleep. Her self-questioning thoughts swam through her head, filling her mind and sleep with unpleasant dreams. Countless times she replayed the events of the mission, each time trying to find a different way to overcome the problems, but each ending the same as before.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
There was water dripping from somewhere in the distance, but Sonic couldn't really be sure where it was coming from. He stepped over another stagnant pool, the stench permeating the tunnels finally getting to him. He had been trekking through the sewers of Robotropolis for several hours now. He had been following the personnel transport that had taken the Chaos Emeralds until it reached Robotropolis, realizing then that walking through Main Street wasn't the way to avoid detection. Instead he had gotten into the old purification plant and into the subterranean tunnels.  
  
But, as usual, Sonic hadn't thought things through. His goal had been to follow the carrier to wherever Robotnik was dumping his stolen artifacts, in the hopes of finding the rest of the stolen Emeralds. He realized as he went that there was really no way of tracking something flying when you were underground. Nevertheless, he pressed on, hoping that when he came up to the surface again, he could get his bearings and continue his mission.  
  
It was a long time before his torch glinted off something ahead, and he reached down into the muck to pull out one of the golden rings from the temple. He looked down at it, then up at the ceiling, noticing a ladder leading to a manhole cover. It scraped against the pavement as he slid it aside, poking his head up to look around. The crackling of a fire met his ears, and he could see the carrier down the street, on its side, nearly half of its hull peeled away from impact.  
  
"Oh, geez," Sonic grumbled as he lifted himself from the hole. "Someone's shootin' down Buttnik's stuff now?"  
  
He went over to check it out, and saw that the removed plating was almost restricted to the wall of the cargo compartment, and that all of the artifacts had been removed. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot, trying to figure out what went down. Either a rogue band had shot them down, and had stolen the artifacts, or Robotnik had sent his own 'bots to recover them. Seeing as how one of the rings had fallen into the sewer, it probably wasn't Robotnik; he wouldn't stand to have anything missing.  
  
_So, they were robbed,_ Sonic thought as he returned to the manhole cover. _They went through the sewers, but not the way I came from, deeper into the city._  
  
He returned again to the sludge, snapping his torch on and continuing down the passage.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"Aunt Sally... Aunt Sally?"  
  
Princess Sally blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. "What time is it?" she groaned, sitting up.  
  
"About nine," Tails answered with concern in his voice. "Why were ya sleepin' out here?"  
  
"Guess I forgot to go to bed..."  
  
"Are you okay, Aunt Sally?"  
  
"I'll be fine, Tails," she said, rising to her feet. "Go ahead and get some breakfast."  
  
"Okay..." he slowly took a seat at the table, watching Sally go. Even he could tell something was wrong. He wished Sonic was there, he could make it better, whatever it was.  
  
Sally thought about going back to her hut to get some sleep, but knew that the day couldn't wait. Instead she found herself walking into the medical hut, her eyes adjusting to the darkness inside. She found Bunnie in one of the cots on the side of the room, having been disconnected from the monitors and the IV the night before. Rotor was gone, but Bookshire had taken the cot adjacent to hers. Sally smiled. They didn't have many long-term patients at Knothole, but when they did they were well taken care of.  
  
She came in as quietly as she could, careful not to wake either of them. In the dim light she could see Bunnie peacefully sleeping, the sheet drawn to her neck and resting strangely at her left shoulder. She found a chair near the bed and collapsed into it, unable to do anything but stare. All the chaotic events were brought into blinding focus now that she saw the intrinsic results. And again she found her eyes moist, all of her self doubt returning to her once more.  
  
She heard a stirring and lifted her eyes to see Bunnie looking at her. "Sally-girl, what's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, Bunnie," she quickly dabbed at her eyes. "You're awake."  
  
Strangely, Bunnie smiled. "I had the strangest dream last night," she whispered and tried to roll over, her eyes falling to the mechanical stump at her left shoulder. "Oh. Guess it wasn't a dream."  
  
Sally's tears broke out again. "Bunnie, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."  
  
"For what?" she asked, shifting to a comfortable position on her side. "For wantin' to go get your dad's stuff? There's nothin' wrong with that. I'm the one that told you to... amputate it. It's just somethin' I gotta live with now. Like this," she reached over to tap a finger against her ocular plate.  
  
"But that's... How could you say that? After all you've been through already, and for me to..."  
  
She put her hand on Sally's shoulder. "Sally-girl, listen to me. There's nothin' that you did wrong. _You_ can keep beatin' yerself up, but I've already forgotten 'bout it."  
  
Sally sniffed. "So you're not mad at me for anything?"  
  
"Why should I be?"  
  
She chuckled and wiped her eyes. "What would I do without a friend like you?"  
  
"Prob'ly go insane, most likely," she smiled back. "Now let's get me outta here."  
  
"Should we ask Bookshire first?"  
  
"Naw, don't bother. He said I could head home after I had rested the night."  
  
Sally helped Bunnie get dressed, which was harder than either of them thought it would be. She decided to keep her cloak draped over her left shoulder, so it wouldn't be too obvious what had happened. They went down to the spring to wash up, then returned to the camp in search of breakfast.  
  
As they were eating Antoine came in. Bunnie waved him over, and he came and sat down. "'Allo, Bunnie. Good morning, my princess," he bowed.  
  
"Good morning, Antoine," Sally smiled back, always a little amused when he called her that.  
  
Sally saw how Bunnie's expression visibly changed as she and Antoine exchanged glances. She wasn't quite sure where it had started, but the two of them had been spending time together, having long conversations the subjects of which she could only guess at. In any case, it was good seeing Antoine strike out a little socially, and it seemed to be doing wonders for Bunnie's countenance as well.  
  
"I have not been seeing you this morning," Antoine said. "Where have you been hiding yourselves, hm?"  
  
The two girls looked at each other, wondering how pointed they should make their reply. Bunnie decided to tell him outright. "In the hospital," she said quietly, pulling back her cloak to let him see her shoulder.  
  
Antoine was shocked. "_Sacre bleu,_ what happened? Are you all right?"  
  
"Just an accident," she answered, folding her cloak back.  
  
"Please tell."  
  
Bunnie carefully told Antoine what had happened on the mission, and he hung on every word. She finally finished, and he slumped back on the stool. "And where is your arm now?"  
  
She shrugged. "Still back in the pod, prob'ly."  
  
"Unless Robotnik got it," Sally spoke up.  
  
"But, my princess, is that not a security risk?"  
  
"Is it? I never thought of that."  
  
"Well, sure," Bunnie offered. "My DNA's all over the thing, ain't it? What could Robotnik do with that?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Sally shook her head. "I'll have to ask Bookshire and Rotor."  
  
"Does that mean we might be gettin' my arm back?" Bunnie asked optimistically.  
  
"I don't know about that. First we have to find out if it is really a security leak. Once that's determined, we can take it from there."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
A hard slap across the hedgehog's face, and his eyes quickly snapped open. He tried to move, but was held tightly by both arms and suspended from the floor. "What the... Who the heck are you guys?"  
  
Sonic's mind raced. What had happened? He remembered being in the sewers, then he had reached a dead end. He had tried to think of what to do next when the floor collapsed and he was dropped without warning into a large pool of... well, being in the sewers he didn't want to guess what it was _of._ In any case, for all his strengths, Sonic couldn't swim a stroke. He had blacked out before reaching the edge of the pool, and the next thing he knew...  
  
"Why were ya followin' us, eh, punk?"  
  
Sonic turned to face his interrogator and possibly slapper, who was staring him defiantly in the eye, knowing that thanks to his goons he had the upper hand. The hedgehog tried to look around, but the weasel grabbed his hair and forced his attention. "You bein' a nosy little crack, ain't ya? You should be grateful we saved yer sorry yass from drownin'. Now whaddya want?"  
  
He was in incredible pain, and it took him a moment to answer. "You took the... Robotnik's..."  
  
"'Robotnik?'" he echoed, purposefully cutting him off. "Hey fellas, I think he's come from Robotnik!"  
  
Sonic tried again to speak, but couldn't be heard amidst the laughing. "I think we should give 'im back to Robotnik, then, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah!" someone else shouted. "Let the botniks get 'im!"  
  
"Take 'im upstairs, drop 'im in the nearest waste bin."  
  
Someone socked him in the stomach and he blacked out again. When he awoke it was night, or dark at least. It took Sonic a second to realize that when they said "waste bin" it wasn't a euphemism. He was in some kind of trash dumpster, and it stank horribly. He struggled upright, pushing against the lid until it creaked open. He flung his head out and breathed deeply, grateful he still felt his knapsack across his shoulders.  
  
"Sonique? Is that you?"  
  
He looked around. "Antoine?"  
  
Sonic rolled out of the dumpster as the coyote came over. He laid there for a moment, enjoying the fresh air. When he opened his eyes again he saw Antoine looking down at him. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I've been better," Sonic answered, sitting up.  
  
He sniffed. "You have smelled better as well."  
  
"Gimme a break, man," he scowled. "I've been through sewers and garbage all day."  
  
"Which would beg the question be ask-ed: Why?"  
  
He stood and brushed himself off, though it did little good. He would need one heck of a shower when he got back to Knothole. "It wasn't just Emerald Hill," he replied, reaching into his back for one of the Chaos Emeralds. "Robotnik's been swipin' artifacts from every one of the fortifications, including these babies."  
  
"It is beautiful."  
  
"Yeah, they're also darn powerful, too, enough to run an entire comm base."  
  
"And Robotnique wants them. Understandable."  
  
"Say, what're you doing out here anyway, Ant?"  
  
He turned and gestured to the ground speeder idling on the street nearby. Sally was driving, and Bunnie was riding shotgun. "Getting equipment."  
  
"Oh, thank God!" Sonic ran over to the car. "Sal, I need your help!"  
  
She looked him over. "Sonic, what on Mobius happened to you?"  
  
"Long story, 'splain later. Here's what's important..." he told her everything about Robotnik's pillaging of the monasteries, ending with, "so I need to find out where he'd put stuff like that."  
  
"How many Chaos Emeralds do you have so far?"  
  
"Three. Tabs said all six of our comm bases were hit."  
  
"So Robotnik's got three of 'em, too," Bunnie chipped in.  
  
"Or in cold storage," Sonic answered. "Like I said, it seems like he doesn't know what the Emeralds can do, he's just takin' everything."  
  
"He's looking for something," Sally pondered. "But what?"  
  
"Any way of knowing where he'd store things like that, Sal?"  
  
"There may be a way..." she started, reaching for her computer. "Nicole, please run location scan for storage facilities, sort by security rating."  
  
[Working, Sally...]  
  
She looked over the list. "The highest-security warehouse is about two kilometers away, next to a robotics factory. They're doing some construction, so you should be able to get in quietly."  
  
"All right, Sal. Be back in- wait, 'robotics factory?' Oh, yeah! Buttnik's got some new kind of 'bot that he attacked the forts with. Called 'botniks' or 'badniks' or somethin'. Really nasty critters."  
  
Antoine jumped in the back seat and Sally started the car. "We'll keep an eye out," she said, shifting into gear. "Good luck, Sonic."  
  
"Have fun, kids!" he waved as he took off down the street.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
"Snively!"  
  
"You bellowed, sir?"  
  
Robotnik shot him a dark-eyed stare. "Where are my relics? I'm not a patient man!"  
  
Snively looked down at his clipboard. "The last shipment was supposed to be arriving this morning, but it has been... delayed by a small group of rebels near the twenty-third sector."  
  
"Well?" he growled. "Have you recovered them yet?"  
  
"Um... I took the liberty of sending two groups of SWATbots, but the artifacts had already been stolen, sir."  
  
Robotnik seethed. "I've planned this too long, Snively. Too long to have the vermin take it from me now. Send out search parties; I want my artifacts recovered immediately! Where are the rest of them?"  
  
"In the warehouse you specified, sir."  
  
"Good. Double the guard in the sector. Tell them to shoot on sight!"  
  
"Yes, sir," Snively answered quickly and hurried from the room.  
  
"Planned this too long..." he repeated quietly to himself, brows lowering in deep concentration. "These ancient relics... they hold the key to everything. I have to find the one I need... for my creation."  
  
With a sudden motion, Robotnik reached out to slap a button on the console of his chair. One of the screens before him crackled to life, showing a fast-moving image of one of Robotropolis' many streets, he guessed the residential district. _The sensory uplink is working quite well,_ he mused. _My signal appears to have modified the cyborg very nicely, indeed._ He smiled. _Roboticization is good, but having an agent inside is better._  
  
He had to admit he had been worried when the pod they had stolen from him had crashed the night before. There had been a chance his window into their plans may have been lost. Gratefully, that was not the case. He studied the screen, turning up the volume to try and discern the voices around; two others, it sounded like, in addition to hers.  
  
They were nowhere near his warehouse, which made him breathe a little easier. They may have shot down his transport, but they didn't seem to know that he had several shiploads of artifacts coming in from all around Robotropolis. He steepled his fingers and chuckled. As long as he had the upper hand all would proceed to his design.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic leapt across the gap to another steel girder, skidding slightly as he landed before taking off again. He had found the place easily enough, after Sally's directions. The construction area was big enough that he could basically walk in without being detected. He did have to reach the roof, however, which could only be accomplished by scaling the superstructure of whatever they were building, dodging the brainless builder 'bots, who had no clue as to his presence. This sometimes caused them to move suddenly, and if he wasn't watching... well, it was a _long_ way down.  
  
He jumped to grab an overhead bar, making his way hand over hand until he could heft himself up to another beam. _This is where Sally's physical training program pays off,_ he thought to himself. The roof was only a few more feet up.  
  
The rhythmic march of metallic feet made Sonic stop and duck behind a vertical support, peeking around in time to see a half-dozen SWATbots making their way down the street. _Man, what do these guys want?_  
  
They stopped half-way through the construction site, one 'bot, who was apparently the commander, gesturing and giving orders. The squad dispersed to the surrounding buildings, checking each one and returning to the street a moment later. _Looking for me, I'd bet,_ he grinned.  
  
The squad continued on, disappearing around a corner. "Too bad, slow-mos!" he shouted and jumped up, swinging himself over the lip of the roof. There was a skylight, allowing him to see down into the manufacturing plant. Conveyor belts ran the length of the place, broken up only by large pieces of machinery that he could hear even from outside.  
  
"This doesn't seem _too_ hard," he observed, looking around for a way in, other than through the ceiling. He was able to find a door; he opened it and descended the small flight of metal stairs to the ground level of the factory. Again, no guards, and now he knew something was up. _Sal said this was the highest security, so where is everybody?_  
  
Across the room Sonic could see a small doorway. He navigated around the worker 'bots and the various equipment until he could see inside. It was a hallway, featureless, leading from the assembly room to... somewhere. He took a step, realized nothing was happening, then sprinted down the corridor to find himself in a windowless storage room.  
  
"Holy..." Robotnik was taking more than just artifacts. There were items from all over Mobius sitting in that cramped space. He saw works of art, sculpture, archaic devices he couldn't even guess about. Sonic shook his head as he started looking for the Emeralds. Robotnik was stockpiling for something, that was for sure.  
  
Logic dictated that the Emeralds, and the other pieces from the monasteries, were to be the closest to the door. He found them lying in a pile, unceremoniously gathered by one of Robotnik's goons. He picked them up, his hands tingling almost overwhelmingly from holding three at once. He put them in his pack slowly, carefully, then turned to the other relics before leaving. Part of him wanted to bring them with him, but there were too many to hold by himself. "Later," he told himself. "There'll be time later."  
  
Sonic went back through the hallway, now a little cautious. Something was wrong, he could feel it. As he came back to the production area he could see what it was: all of the machinery in the room had suddenly stopped, and the worker 'bots were all turned to face him, each with a eerie vacant expression.  
  
"Uh... hi?" Sonic tried waving, as if it did any good.  
  
Nothing happened. It was as if time had stopped, and he was the only one still awake. He fully entered the room, and a heavy metal blast door dropped down to lock behind him. He noticed all the other exits were shut, too.  
  
"You'll be pleased to know the SWATbots should be here any second now."  
  
Sonic spun his head around to try and find the source of the deep, booming voice. "Who the heck...?"  
  
A throaty, cackling laugh assaulted his ears, and an almost invisible computer screen on the wall activated to show the face of-  
  
"Robotnik!"  
  
"I'm pleased you recognize me, rodent," he hissed. "I must admit you threw me for a loop when your friends went off in the opposite direction, but that's why I had laser security installed here, isn't it?"  
  
"Laser security," he mumbled to himself, slapping his forehead. "I'm not just a rodent, buddy, I'm Sonic! And throwin' loops is what I do best, Ro-Buttnik!"  
  
"How dare you insult me, you impudent..." the dictator was fuming. "You cannot leave, freedom fighter! You are my prisoner for now until eternity!"  
  
"Yeah, we'll see 'bout that!" he swung his knapsack off his shoulders and zipped it open in one stroke, looking through his equipment.  
  
"What are you doing?" Robotnik hissed from the wall.  
  
"Tisk, tisk..." Sonic scowled, spinning and hurling his torch toward the screen. "No peeking!"  
  
The monitor shattered on impact, interrupting the signal and removing the ugly mug from sight. Sonic didn't bother retrieving the torch, he had little time, if what Robotnik had said was true.  
  
First he found his radio. "Sal! You there?"  
  
It was a long time until she answered. "Sonic, I'm here."  
  
"Can you guys come pick me up? Buttnik's got me locked in."  
  
"Sonic, what did I tell you?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up."  
  
"We'll be there as soon as we can."  
  
He put the radio back, then continued looking for anything he could use to get out. "Chaos Emerald, no... ring, maybe..." he set one of them off to the side, "Ooh, the other half of my ration bar..." he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right."  
  
With a sharp hiss the main doors opened and a SWATbot stepped through. It immediately saw Sonic, and brought its rifle to bear. "Aw, crap!" Sonic quickly but his pack back on and grabbed his ring from the floor. The shot crackled above his head as he dodged out of the way.  
  
There was another SWATbots directly behind the first one, however, who also had the hedgehog trained in its sights. The shot was dead on, and the bolt headed straight for his chest. Sonic was still holding the ring, which sparked and flashed as the laser hit. He hit the floor, realizing after a moment that _he_ had not been hit; somehow the ring had absorbed the energy, but disintegrated in the process.  
  
"Suh-weet!" Sonic shouted, getting up and dodging another volley of fire. There were now six SWATbots in the room, all aiming for him. He sprinted for the other side of the room, reaching for another ring as he did so.  
  
The SWATbots tracked him fruitlessly, their shots burning into the far wall and most of Robotnik's machinery. "Shame on you, guys! Buttnik's not gonna like what you've done with the place!"  
  
The soldiers moved to take up strategic positions in each corner of the room, continuing to waste their ammo. He vaulted the railing for the stairway, running up only to find the door to the roof had been locked as well. "Least they're thorough," he grumbled, turning and sliding down the rail back to the ground floor.  
  
There had to be a way out, Robotnik couldn't have locked _everything_! Then he remembered: the skylight! But the ceiling was too high up, he didn't have anything that would let him get up there.  
  
Sonic kept running, essentially in circles, to avoid the SWATbots. "Well, you've done it this time, hedgehog," he muttered to himself. "How you gonna get outta this one?"  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sally and Antoine raced through the halls of the production facility, weapons drawn. Sally had Nicole in map view, which helped them navigate the maze of passages in order to reach the main construction chamber, where Sonic was.  
  
They reached the door, and Nicole tried to break the lock, but the security was too tight. Sally moved to plan B, producing several detonator charges from her supply pack and strapping them to the wall. "Take cover!" she called and hit the igniter. The charges exploded, rocking the blast door off its hinges and dropping it clanging to the floor.  
  
"Sonic, let's go!" she shouted, using the doorframe for cover and firing several shots as a distraction for the SWATbots. The hedgehog soon came streaking past, and Sally and Antoine were able to hold the troopers off while they backed slowly out of the factory and back to Bunnie, who was waiting in the speeder. As soon as everyone was inside Sally hit the accelerator and the car sped down the street on the road back to Knothole.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The tip of Rotor's welder sparked against the metal, superheating it and fusing the two pieces together. He finished the final part of the connection, then lifted his tool and goggles. "There. All done. How does that feel, Bunnie?"  
  
She opened her eyes and looked over at her arm, experimentally flexing her metallic fingers and elbow. "Like new, Rotor! Thanks a bunch!"  
  
"Have any problems, come see me," he offered, packing up his tools.  
  
"You need me fer anythin' else, doc?"  
  
"No, Bunnie, that should be all," Bookshire answered. "Now go home and get some rest."  
  
"No complaints with that," she chuckled and turned to leave with Rotor. Sally, Antoine, and Sonic were outside waiting for them. "Good as new, Sally-girl. Thanks for goin' back to get it."  
  
"That's great, Bunnie."  
  
"So lemme get this straight," Sonic said, "you cut off Bunnie's arm?"  
  
Sally nodded. "I'll tell you about it later."  
  
Rotor came up beside them. "So what was it you wanted me to take a look at, Sally?"  
  
"These," the princess answered, getting one of the Chaos Emeralds from Sonic. "There's some kind of power in these crystals; I need you to analyze it and give me a full spectrum analysis."  
  
He took it and turned it over in his hands. "All right, but that will slow down my work with the de-Roboticizor."  
  
She nodded. "I know. Work on these first, though. If Robotnik had them, we have to know why. Get me the results as fast as you can."  
  
"All right, I'll do my best."  
  
"That's all I ask," she sighed and looked over at Bunnie. "That's the only thing any of us can give, is our best."  
  


::END OF CHAPTER::


	7. 3237, Day 097 : DOOM Part 1, Origin

main chapter finished 12 /01 /03;  
reformatted: 12 /14 /03;  
revised/reformatting: 08 /08 /04

* * *

Antipode Evangel Presents:  
**_FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS_**  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux

* * *

Year 3237, Day 097  
DOOM, Part 1  
Origin

* * *

Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by totally rad copyright laws... Woo-hoo!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood / David Pistone.

* * *

It had rained the night before, and the forest smelled of the fresh vegetation and moist earth. A morning mist enveloped the trees, giving the wooded glade an otherworldly atmosphere, like something from a dream. The birds sang in the treetops above, the only sound that could be heard. It almost seemed like another world entirely, free from the struggles of the outside.  
  
The two liked to visit that place often, Sonic to try to forget the trials of the war, and Tails just to be with him. They would sit on the fallen logs or in the lower branches, talking about whatever they felt like discussing. Today's topic had somehow turned to Sonic's childhood.  
  
"What did you want to be when you grew up?" Tails had started it. He was hanging upside-down by his ankles from a tree branch above Sonic's head.  
  
"Gee, I dunno," he replied, chuckling. "That was a _long_ time ago." He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "I was always fast, runnin' around the house all the time. Maybe I thought I could be a professional runner, like marathons or sprints or somethin'."  
  
Tails just nodded. "Why, little bro? What do you want to be?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he answered. "I don't really know what I'm good at yet."  
  
"Well, ya like helpin' Rote with his stuff. And makin' that plane with Kara."  
  
Tails looked down at him. "I dunno. Bein' a pilot for the rest of my life doesn't sound like much fun."  
  
"Sometimes it's not about what's fun, it's about what you need to do to help everyone around you."  
  
He processed that for a moment. "You got that from Aunt Sally, didn't you?"  
  
"More than likely," he smiled. "So why all this talk about childhood, huh?"  
  
"No reason."  
  
"Oh, come on."  
  
"It's... just that I feel weird."  
  
"Weird?" Sonic echoed. "Weird like what?"  
  
"Well, _these_ for one," he answered, grabbing a tail in each hand.  
  
"That's not weird," Sonic shook his head. "It's what makes you-"  
  
"'Special,' yeah," Tails finished. "I've heard that one from Aunt Sally, too." A period of silence, then, "How did I get like this anyway, Sonic?"  
  
"I thought you knew?"  
  
"Tell me again."  
  
"Okay, well... You were only two, that would make me-"  
  
"Nine and a half," he said quickly. Tails was always quick at math.  
  
"Yeah... Anyway, I was out wandering away from camp, like I usually did back then, just to bug people, when I saw this clearing out by the river. I musta been pretty close to Robotropolis 'cuz there was two or three SWATbots there, shootin' at these two people -- your mom and dad, we guessed. By the time I got there your dad-"  
  
"Amadeus, right?"  
  
"Right. General Amadeus, eye patch n' all. By the time I got there, he was startin' to lose steam. So as the SWATbots 're movin' in your mom just yells, 'Miles, run!' You come bustin' out of the bushes and straight into the woods. Well, there was no chance you knew where you were goin' so I called you over and we both juiced back to Knothole."  
  
"So what... happened to my parents?"  
  
"We still don't know," Sonic replied somberly. "Probably roboticized like the rest of our families."  
  
"Yeah... So, what about my tails?"  
  
"Oh, right. Well, Sally said we should probably head back see what happened. When we got to the clearing nobody was left, but we found the river was polluted like nothin' you've ever seen. Our best guess was that if your parents were living there since Robotnik took over, the scum in the river might, um..."  
  
Sonic's voice trailed off, and Tails finished. "'Mess something up?'"  
  
"I wasn't gonna put it _that_ way."  
  
"What difference does it make how you put it?" Tails asked, letting himself fall to the ground. "Robotnik did it," he said softly. "That's what happened."  
  
"Yeah," Sonic replied, eyes turned down.  
  
"I'm not mad at you, Sonic. It's just that..." his voice broke and tears filled his eyes. "I just miss 'em."  
  
Sonic held him close as he started quietly sobbing. "I know, buddy. Robotnik's taken people we love from all of us. That's why we gotta make him pay for it, right?"  
  
The nine-year-old just nodded, staining Sonic's shirt with tears. It took half an hour before Tails calmed down, and they both started back home.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sally stood the front end of the meeting hall, steeling herself for the news she had to give. In addition to the Knothole freedom fighters now there was a peppering of others as well, who had come at the news of the nearly-completed deroboticizor. At Sally's invitation they had brought their loved ones, friends and family who had been transformed by Robotnik, with the hopes that soon they could be turned back to the way they were. That was what made this news so hard to give.  
  
It had been yesterday that Rotor had come into her office and told her that the roboticizor -- as he had built it according the specs they found -- had safeguards in it that prevented him from accessing its program, which made it impossible for him to give it instructions. And without instructions, it was nothing but a useless hunk of metal. It would turn on, blink its lights, blow its whistles, but nothing that would help anyone here.  
  
Sally took a deep breath. "I apologize to all of our visitors, some of whom came a long way to our village. Our deroboticizor will not be completed in the time frame I gave you when you got here."  
  
Ripples of surprise spread the room. Above the din a single voice rose, "What happened? What's going on?"  
  
"Our technician Rotor told me yesterday that the schematics he was building off of included a security mechanism that prevents him from programming it with the right directions. We're not sure where that mechanism is located, and to find it will take time."  
  
"How much time?" someone else asked.  
  
She shook her head. "It's too soon to tell that."  
  
The low murmurs grew in intensity as everyone in the room started talking at once. Sally sighed, trying to mentally drown out the noise until she heard Sonic's voice. "Hey, QUIET!"  
  
Everyone immediately stopped and turned to stare at the blue hedgehog, who had jumped from his chair at the side of the room. As soon as he was sure he had everyone's attention he continued. "Sal, why don't we just get someone who knows how to bypass the security?"  
  
She crossed her arms. "You have someone in mind, I hope?"  
  
"Sure I do: my Uncle Chuck! He helped build it, he designed it almost by himself!"  
  
She frowned in concentration. "You may have something there, Sonic. Not to get anyone's hopes up, but I'll look into it. Meeting adjourned."  
  
Sonic and Sally met with Rotor and Bookshire shortly after. At Sally's suggestion they set to work, finding a table and covering it with Rotor's roboticizor schematics and Bookshire's medical reports for Bunnie. They started with the obvious problem, how to get Chuck back to Knothole. They already knew where he was, thanks to the tracker Tails had put on the transport earlier. They had been monitoring its progress since that day, finding that all the workers had been dropped off at an old crystal mine several kilometers west of the city.  
  
"Well, stopping mechanical devices is never hard," Rotor answered. "You just need to hit it an EMP."  
  
"Ee-em-what?"  
  
"An EMP, Sonic. Electro-magnetic pulse. It shorts out all the circuitry, in this case in a robot."  
  
"The problem, though," Bookshire spoke up, "is whether or not this will cause any problems to Chuck's organic systems as well. Now in this regard Bunnie won't work as an example, because she's not fully roboticized. If the process works the way we think it does, there could be some serious side effects to consider."  
  
"Such as?" Sally queried.  
  
"Well, if the robotics are manipulating his respiratory system, hitting those with an EMP will keep him from breathing. If it's connected to his heart it might stop beating."  
  
"That's not good," Sonic stated the obvious.  
  
"And if there are any implants sending signals to his brain -- and judging from Bunnie that's certainly the case -- overloading that will cause instant brain-death."  
  
"So what are you saying, Bookshire?" Rotor looked over at him. "An EMP won't work?"  
  
"I guess what I'm trying to say is... watch where you shoot? The least amount of damage we do to his body -- either his organic or his mechanical one -- the better."  
  
Sonic tapped his foot. "That's not very reassuring, Booker."  
  
"What's worse?" the doctor asked, shrugging. "Having an Uncle Chuck here who might not be able to use a leg or an arm, or a robot slave and no deroboticizor?"  
  
"I just don't like the way you're takin' this," Sonic replied. "This is my Uncle Chuck we're talkin' about here!"  
  
Sally changed the subject. "Rotor, how long until you can get an EMP weapon put together?"  
  
"I can get a short-range pistol done... in about two hours. Give me five and you can outfit a whole team."  
  
She nodded. "Do it. Sonic, go tell Antoine we're leaving in six hours."  
  
"Ya want me to tell Bunnie, too, or isn't she comin'?"  
  
She shook her head. "No. We don't want to risk the effects an EMP weapon might have on her robotics. Rotor will be the fourth man."  
  
The techie's head came up. "Me?"  
  
"Is that a problem?"  
  
"Well, I haven't done field work in a long time, ma'am. I'm kinda out of shape."  
  
She smiled. "Rotor, the only thing you'll have to do is show us how the guns work and provide some extra muscle."  
  
He smiled weakly. "Sounds easy enough."  
  
"All right. Mission starts in six. I'll be in my office."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sally never really had formal paperwork to do at Knothole -- being in the middle of nowhere meant that she didn't have to report to anyone -- but she still like to spend time in a hut she designated her "office." It was the professionalism of the room, with the carefully-kept desk and neat stacks of papers that were usually nothing important. Most of the time she just looked through her personnel files, scanning the information of those freedom fighters they had already lost, which reminded her what she was working for, and gave her a little perspective.  
  
She was looking over a summary of Rotor's work with the deroboticizor when she heard a knock at her door, and looked up to see Tails shuffle in, eyes red and puffy from past tears. "Tails? What is it, what's wrong?"  
  
"I was just thinkin', Aunt Sally," he sniffed, glancing down at the floor. "If there was somethin' you wanted to tell someone, but you couldn't _say_ it to 'em... what would you do?"  
  
Sally reasoned that he was thinking about his parents; Sonic had told her about his conversation with Tails earlier. It was so sweet that he'd want to send his parents a message, even though the chances of them getting it were slim to none. "I'd probably write them a letter telling them how I feel," she answered.  
  
"Like how?" he asked.  
  
She took out a blank sheet of paper and scribbled down notes. "Well, you start out with 'Dear' and then the name of the person you're writing to," she answered, trying to make it as vague as possible so as not to let on she knew about his conversation, which was kind of private. "Then you just write down what you want to tell them."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"And then when you're done you put 'Love' or 'Sincerely,' and then your name."  
  
"All right. Thanks, Aunt Sally. Can I have that one?"  
  
"Sure," she replied, handing him the paper. "Here's a couple extras, too."  
  
"Thanks, Aunt Sally," Tails took the papers and scampered from the room.  
  
She watched him go, and couldn't help but feel a small pang at her heart. Tails was growing up, that was evident. He was thinking about what happened to his parents and seeing it in a different light, and dealing with his emotions on a mature level.  
  
"Hey, Sal!"  
  
She rolled her eyes. _Speaking of growing up._  
  
Sonic came through her office door, head turned to see Tails leaving. "What's up with Tails? He doin' paper airplanes or somethin'?"  
  
"He's writing a letter to his parents."  
  
His eyes widened. "Well, that's cool."  
  
"He obviously misses them now," she observed, her voice quiet. "Poor Tails. Having to grow up without a family..."  
  
"Hey, what're we, chopped liver?"  
  
"It's not the same," she shook her head. "You're more like a brother to him, not a father. Think of how devastated you were during the first years here, without Uncle Chuck to talk to."  
  
Sonic squinted as he thought, finding with some alarm he didn't remember much about growing up at Knothole. Everything had moved so fast then. Sally was right, though: those had been tough times, for all of them. "Well, we're gettin' Unc back now, right?"  
  
"Right. I just hope with time we can get all of our families back, too. This thing means so much to everyone here."  
  
"Yeah. So what's the plan?"  
  
"I figured we'd take the cruiser, since we'll probably need a quick getaway." Since Sally had hotwired and brought it to Knothole a year ago Kara had made some engine modifications to the ground speeder to make it more suitable as mission transportation. "Nicole can analyze the mine as soon as we get close." She sighed. "We'll have to play this one by ear."  
  
"Hey, that's what I do best," Sonic replied, grinning.  
  
"If you say so, Sonic. I just hope this works out. No one's ever tried... _stealing_ a Robian before, especially from under Robotnik's nose."  
  
"Eh, Rotor'll get those EMT thingies workin' and it'll be fine. Relax, Sal."  
  
"I'll relax as soon as this is over with," she replied, feeling the tension in her back. Of course, when they got the deroboticizor working she would have to organize their visitors and get them into some kind of program. And no one was really sure what would happen if the process worked. Then after all the bugs were ironed out she would send messages to all the other cells telling them that it worked... This thing was far from over.  
  
Sonic left, and Sally turned back to her office. "Nicole, interface mode, please."  
  
The palmtop computer on her desk blinked its lights. [Connection established, Sally,] it responded in its monotone emulation of her voice.  
  
"Access my father's files," she said, sitting back down in her chair and facing the monitor.  
  
[Files accessed.]  
  
"Open the network database."  
  
Nicole immediately complied, displaying the lines of text on her screen. When she had analyzed the files she got from her family's villa almost a year ago, she found that one of the documents was a description of all the freedom cells her father had established. After reading through them she found that they were originally meant for exactly the purpose they were used for now: the overthrow of any government that usurped the Lineage of Acorn. There were over a hundred of them around and even in Robotropolis, and she also reminded herself that there were several other unofficial cells that existed as well. Knothole wasn't on the list, since Sally, Sonic, Rotor, Bunnie, and Antoine were brought there as children, so even theirs was an unofficial fighter group.  
  
Still, her position as the heir apparent to the throne would carry some weight if anyone disagreed with her decisions. She had been doing this a long time now, she knew what she was doing. Sally found the list extremely helpful: if ever they would need to call any of the other groups for assistance they were now easy to find. That is, if they were still in their indicated positions; the list was over ten years old, and some of them may have had to move if they were found by Robotnik.  
  
Sally idly scrolled through the list, refreshing her memory as to how many Mobians were out there fighting Robotnik. _Soon,_ she thought to herself, _this will all be over. We play this mission right, and this war could be over today._  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
The team piled into the ground speeder and departed from Knothole as soon as Rotor finished the new weaponry. Sally was driving, using Nicole's GPS systems to guide them toward the mining center. On the way Rotor informed them how to use the pistols.  
  
"It's just like any other gun, really," he said from the backseat, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You just point and fire. The only major difference is that, against non-Robians, the effect will just feel like a light stun that will wear off in a couple seconds."  
  
"But what about against Robians?" Sonic asked, turning one of them over in his hands. He never really liked using weapons, and he wasn't looking forward to using one against his long-lost Uncle.  
  
"It should fuse the electronics in an area local to where the shot impacted. I advise we hit the legs if we can, that way we can do as little damage to the vital organs as possible."  
  
Sonic frowned. He didn't like this at all. He thought there must be an easier and less risky way to do this, but no one would listen to him. "How are we gettin' in, Sal?"  
  
"I'm not sure," she called back from the driver's seat. "Nicole will have to help us out once we get there. But once we are inside, we'll split up into two teams and try to find Sir Charles. He'll probably be with the other workers deep in the mine. If you find him, hold position and call on your radio, then we can regroup."  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Tails scribbled furiously on his piece of paper, stared at the words on it for a moment, then crumpled it into a ball and cast it to the floor with the others. This letter-writing thing was harder than he thought it was. Maybe it would help if he wrote down all the things he wanted to say, then put them in order later.  
  
He picked up one of the paper balls and unfolded it, turning it over to write on the blank side. First he would want to introduce himself, but that's what the whole letter was about. He should tell his name, where he lives, maybe a little about his friends. Tails took a look at the list, deciding it satisfactory. He took down another sheet of paper, beginning the letter again. "My name is Tails," he wrote, then frowned. "Tails" wasn't really his name. He rotated the pencil and erased.  
  
"My name is Miles, but everyone _calls_ me Tails," he said each word slowly as he wrote. "That's better. 'I have two of them, because I grew up next to a polluted river...'"  
  
"I am a freedom fighter, and we are constantly fighting..." he continued, his pencil scribbling faster now that his mind was set on the task. He filled the page with his thoughts in little time at all, gracefully laying down his signature at the bottom. Now all that was left was to send it. Aunt Bunnie should be able to help with that.  
  
Tails found her in the garden outside camp, tending to some plants. "Hi, Aunt Bunnie!" he called, in better spirits than earlier that morning.  
  
"Well, g'mornin' Sugar-Tails!" she smiled back. He was so cute.  
  
"Can you help me?" he asked. "I need to send this letter to someone."  
  
"Oh, letter, huh?" she got up and brushed the soil from her robotic legs. "Well, do ya know where the person is?"  
  
"Somewhere in Robotropolis, I'm pretty sure," he answered slowly.  
  
"Well, that could be a problem, Sugar," she replied. "If it were anywhere else ya might be able to send it with a messenger, but I don't think the mail goes to Robotropolis."  
  
"Oh..." his head slowly dropped.  
  
Bunnie hated to see Tails sad. "But I could talk to Sally-girl about it. Someone would just have to go over to Robotropolis to deliver it," she said, for the sole purpose of making the kid feel better. She knew there was no one in Robotropolis but SWATbots and Robians, and if Tails wanted to send _them_ a message... It was a sweet thought, but not at all practical.  
  
"Okay. Thanks, Aunt Bunnie," he said slowly and turned to leave.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic peeked cautiously around the corner, then grinned. "Piece'a cake."  
  
"What is it?" Antoine asked. "No SWATbots?"  
  
"Nah, there's two of 'em," Sonic replied. "Should be fun."  
  
"Sonique, need I remind you that this is to be a serious mission? Fun should not be of the importance to you."  
  
"Oh, lighten up, Ant. You can stay here if you want. I could take two SWATbutts in my sleep."  
  
"And let _you_ hog all the 'fun?'" he answered, smiling. "Not a chance, _mon ami_."  
  
"That's better. Here's the plan..."  
  
The two could have easily picked them off the from the safety of the intersection, but Sonic never operated that way. With a whopping cry he bolted down the corridor toward the guards, succeeding in drawing their attention as he ran past. They turned to track him, which left Antoine free to come up behind and zap them both in the back with his pistol. The SWATbots spasmed as their circuitry was instantly fried, and they collapsed in a heap to the ground.  
  
Sonic and Antoine passed through the checkpoint and into the inner levels of the facility, finding themselves in an expansive chamber carved from the rock beneath them. Ramps at several points on the perimeter sloped down into the pit, where the quiet hum of drilling equipment could be heard.  
  
The hedgehog found his radio. "Hey, Sal. Ant and I found the mine, we're headin' in."  
  
"Go ahead, Sonic. Be careful."  
  
Sonic jumped down onto the ramp, the gravel giving way slightly beneath his feet. "Careful, Ant," he called up. "Kinda slippy."  
  
He nodded, stepping down to the slope and following Sonic as he descended into the mine. The darkness from above quickly faded, to be replaced by lamps mounted on the walls. Between the crunching of their own footsteps they heard the constant chipping of rock as the Robian miners around them kept working, oblivious to their presence.  
  
"Like brainless zombies," Sonic whispered in disdain, as the two made their way through the tunnels.  
  
"How shall we find Uncle Chuck in all this?" Antoine asked.  
  
"Very carefully, Ant."  
  
They continued down the mine shaft, soon coming to another small chamber occupied by two pieces of equipment and a handful of Robians. There was a vertical shaft ascending from the ceiling of the room, a conveyor track bringing carts of crystal to the ground level.  
  
Sonic watched as two miners dropped armfuls of crystal into one of the carts, noticing it almost immediately. "Antoine, check it out!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
He walked over to the bin and retrieved a shard. "These things are just like the Chaos Emeralds!"  
  
Antoine looked into the holding bin. "Really? Robotnique is mining them here?"  
  
"Well, they're not _just_ like 'em, but they're pretty close," he answered, slipping the shard into his pocket when he was sure no one was looking. Just because the Robians were ignoring them now didn't mean they couldn't attack them if they wanted to.  
  
The all-too-familiar clanging march of SWATbots echoed its way into the room, and Sonic and Antoine exchanged glances before seeking cover. A moment later two of the guards led another group of Robians to the conveyor, each his arms full of emerald ore. One of the miners, Sonic could see, was Uncle Chuck.  
  
He had to work extremely hard to keep from shouting out right there, but instead motioned to Antoine, who already had his EMP pistol in his hand. Sonic held up three fingers, then two, one, then brought his fist down to signal the attack. Each freedom fighter took aim at the trooper closest to him, and in two seconds the SWATbots were incapacitated and lying on the floor. The Robians, still in their brain-dead state, simply turned and headed back for the passage from which they came.  
  
"No, Unc, come back!" Sonic lunged for his uncle, grabbing him around the waist. The robot simply turned his head to regard him, then laid a vicious robotic backhand across his face. The hedgehog tumbled away and the drone continued marching.  
  
Antoine stepped forward, leveling his pistol for a shot. The barrel flashed, and Chuck staggered, his left leg no longer functioning. Before he completely lost his balance, he reached up and ground his clawed fingers into the rock wall, bringing himself back up with a high-pitched whirring. Antoine fired again, hitting his other leg and dropping him to the ground.  
  
Sonic got back to his feet, rubbing his sore jaw. That was going to leave a bruise. Antoine lowered his weapon, approaching cautiously to inspect his target. He was still functioning -- his arms kept reaching for something to hold onto -- but his legs wouldn't move. Sonic looked himself, feeling another shot of anger at Robotnik's handiwork. He grabbed his radio. "Sal, we got Unc! We'll meet you by the car!"  
  
"Negative, Sonic," her stern voice called back. "Stay where you are, we're almost at your position."  
  
Sonic sighed, working his jaw around. He found a chunk of rock that had fallen from the wall and took a seat. Antoine leaned against the wall, positioned so he could still see the flailing Uncle Chuck from an angle.  
  
Sally and Rotor appeared from the tunnel in only a few moments, and Rotor immediately knelt down by the robot, careful to avoid the swinging claws. "He seems all right. Let's get him out of here."  
  
_So glad to have the "professional's" opinion,_ Sonic scowled. _I could have told ya that._  
  
Antoine and Sonic each took hold of one of Chuck's arms, dragging him rather unceremoniously through the mining tunnels. They eventually reached the car, and everyone got in. Sonic and Antoine took the back seat, with Chuck between them, who seemed unwilling to stop resisting.  
  


-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

  
  
Sonic sat alone on the deck outside the medical hut, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. For the past two hours they had been in there with Uncle Chuck, both Rotor and Bookshire, examining the robotic implants that he'd had for the past decade. They had been forced to restrain and sedate him when they had arrived at Knothole, then Bookshire had asked him to leave as they started the examination. He was too nervous to go do anything, though, so he just sat and waited.  
  
Inside, Rotor was using Bookshire's viewing equipment to inspect Chuck's head, trying to find the tiny microprocessor that inhibited his own actions and controlled his bionics. It took a long time to find it, and even longer to figure out how to disconnect it.  
  
"Careful, Rotor," the doctor warned. "As soon as it's turned off, Chuck's body will start shutting down. We'll be racing the clock then."  
  
He merely nodded, totally engrossed in his work, as usual. As far as he could tell, it was connected to the central nervous system through the base of the skull and the spinal column. Getting it out was going to be tough. Getting it disconnected, on the other hand, should be relatively simple. "I think I know how to do it," he looked up at Bookshire. "Should we go ahead?"  
  
"I have all the records that I need," he nodded.  
  
Rotor picked up the radio nearby. "Sally, are you ready on your end?"  
  
"Nicole's all plugged in," she answered. "Ready when you are."  
  
"Okay..." he took a deep breath and reached for his manipulator. "Here goes nothing."  
  
It was as close to brain surgery as Rotor ever hoped to get. The slightest miscalculated move and he could severely injure Uncle Chuck. He brought the tip of his tool down closer, closer, to the device on his skull. Upon contact with the metal casing he pressed the button, and a small surge caused the end of the bit to spark. He looked away from the magnifier and to his diagnostics. "Looks like that did it," he announced.  
  
"Let's move. We're working on borrowed time now."  
  
"How long do we have?" Rotor asked as the two pushed the gurney out the door.  
  
"I don't know, but I'm monitoring his vitals. I'll give you the five-minute warning."  
  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
Sonic tagged along as they moved into the lab, where Sally, Antoine, and Bunnie were already waiting. They wheeled Uncle Chuck to the middle of the floor, then Rotor looked up to Bookshire. "How do we wake him up?"  
  
"I'll give him some adrenaline," the doctor produced a syringe from his pocket and tried to find a soft point on his neck.  
  
The Robian's eyes fluttered open, and he looked around the room with nervous fear. "Where am I?"  
  
Smiles spread around the room at their first step forward. "Careful, Chuck," Rotor said softly. "This will all make sense later, but you need to conserve your strength. I need to know how to bypass the roboticizor security system."  
  
Chuck squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, fighting back a headache. "I put those things in there for a reason, sonny," he made out in his gravelly voice. "I'm not just gonna tell you how to get past 'em."  
  
Rotor rubbed his forehead. "He's every bit as stubborn as his nephew."  
  
"Sonic?" the old man's eyes lit up. "Is Sonic here?"  
  
"Right here, Unc," Sonic approached the gurney. "C'mon, tell him how to get through it, so we can get you back to normal."  
  
Chuck's eyes darted nervously around the room, and he slowly grasped the situation. "You have to swap the second and fourth chips," he sighed, "and disconnect the fifth one. It's a dummy code."  
  
Rotor was already in the mess of the deroboticizor, making the necessary changes and wondering why he couldn't figure that out before. Probably because the "dummy code" was so complex he had thought for sure that it was part of the operating system. He got back up to his feet. "What else?"  
  
"That's it," he replied. "_If_ you did everything else right it should work."  
  
"Okay, Sonic. Give me a hand here."  
  
Sonic and Rotor both brought Uncle Chuck up and laid him on the platform, then stepped back. "Let 'er rip, Sal!"  
  
"Nicole, begin deroboticization sequence."  
  
[Initiating, Sally...]  
  
A warm glow started beneath the platform, a soft light that got brighter to reach up around Uncle Chuck's body. He could feel the energy bleeding through into his body, and was almost aware of the changes that were happening as the nanobots set about reversing all the things they had altered.  
  
Sonic had almost expected the process to be instantaneous, but after twenty minutes he found himself tapping his foot and glancing at his watch. "Hey, Sal, how long is this supposed to take, anyway?"  
  
"Well, Sonic, it has to do with Drazen's Law of Restitution: put simply, 'to reverse an operation takes more time than to do it.' In this case, deroboticization will take longer than roboticization, since all the implants need to be removed."  
  
"And how long does roboticization take?" he crossed his arms.  
  
"For the whole process, we're not sure. Bunnie says she was in Robotnik's chamber for hours, and that was only for half the procedure."  
  
"So this is gonna take a while, huh?" Sonic sighed and looked around. "Hey, has anybody seen Tails?"  
  
Everyone else in the room also came to realize that they hadn't seen Tails since they had gotten back. Bunnie spoke up. "I think he went back to his room."  
  
Sonic started for the door. "Everyone sit tight, I'll go see what's up."  
  
As he started across the camp he could see that the lights in his hut were off, which was odd. He opened the door and stepped into the darkness. "Little bro?" No answer. "Hey, Tails, you in here?"  
  
Sonic flipped on a light. "Whoa, little guy's been busy."  
  
Scattered all over the floor and the desk were small, crumpled-up pieces of paper, some with Tails' scribbly handwriting on them. "This must be that letter Sal was talkin' about."  
  
He picked one of them up and unfolded it. "Deer," Sonic read aloud, smiling. "Funny."  
  
He found another and unwrapped it. "Hey, he spelled this one right. Dear..." his eyes went wide. "Dammit!"  
  
Sonic ran from the hut and back to the lab, almost kicking the door off its hinges. "Sally!"  
  
She looked up from the computer with a start. "Sonic, what is it?"  
  
He threw the paper into her face, and she took it. On it were written three simple words: "Dear Doctor Robotnik."  
  
"Oh, God," the color drained from Sally's face. "Where is he?"  
  
"He's not here anymore!" Sonic shouted.  
  
Bunnie glanced at the paper over Sally's shoulder. "Oh, my stars, I know where Tails went." The two looked at her. "He was talkin' to me about how to give someone a letter," she continued helplessly. "I thought he meant, ya know, as an example. I told him that someone would have to deliver it... I'm sorry, Sally-girl, I didn't know he'd try ta-"  
  
"It's okay, Bunnie. You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"I'm juicin' outta here now!" Sonic spun on his heel. "I gotta get to Tails before Buttnik does!"  
  
"Sonic, wait-" Sally started but it was too late. Sonic was gone, out of the camp and heading north. "Rotor, stay with Uncle Chuck. Bunnie and Antoine, come with me. Before we have two potential casualties."  
  


TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. 3237, Day 098 : DOOM Part 2, Recon

12 /08 /03; reformatted: 12 /14 /03  
  
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux  
  
By Antipode Echidna  
  
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com  
  
Mobian Time Frame: Year 3237, Day 098  
  
Episode: DOOM, Part 2 -- Recon  
  
Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by totally rad copyright laws... Woo-hoo!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood / David Pistone.  
  
Kara and Grease (c) Antipode Echidna / Adam Czech. Please ask permission before using any of my charas, thanx!  
  
Tails made his way slowly through the streets of Robotropolis, humming nervously to himself as he stayed alert for any sign of movement. He adjusted the straps on his pack, which was heavy on his shoulders. Several times in the past hour he had thought that he was lost, but figured out where he was again soon enough. He had been here before, with Sonic, so he knew what he was doing. He wished Sonic was there with him now, though, at least then he wouldn't feel so alone.  
  
And scared.  
  
It was cold. Tails reached down to zip his jacket as he walked. He was almost to the Imperial Tower, he thought. Or was he? He couldn't really be sure. Night was falling, and everything looked different.  
  
The fox kid stopped, bringing down his knapsack and opening it. On the top, resting on all the equipment the pack contained, was his letter, folded carefully into thirds. He reached past it, finding the torch on the side of the pack. He pulled it out, screwing on the attachment that turned it into a unidirectional flashlight.  
  
He clicked it on, shining it around him at the darkness of the city. He was getting tired, but he had to keep going. He had to deliver his message, then he could go home and sleep.  
  
"Tails, come in. Tails!"  
  
He looked around frantically, not realizing for the first couple moments that the voice was coming from his radio. He pulled it from inside his jacket and pressed the button. "Sonic? Is that you?"  
  
The hedgehog did his best to restrain his anger. "*Don't move*, little bro. I'm gonna come getcha. Just don't move!"  
  
Tails stared at the radio for a moment after Sonic's voice stopped, blinking. He didn't really know where he was going, anyway, so he was happy Sonic finally found him. He took a seat on the sidewalk, looking around and hoping he wasn't too far away.  
  
That's when he heard it: the rhythmic metallic march of SWATbots.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sonic glanced down at the screen as he ripped through the city streets, trying to get a fix on Tails' position. It was a scanner capable of tracing a comm signal from the radios they used at Knothole, so as long as it was on he would know where Tails was. His brows were set in a look of complete determination, and he wished he could find someone to blame for all this.  
  
*How could Tails have done this?* he thought to himself. *He knows it's dangerous to go to Robotropolis alone! Too dangerous...* the words echoed in his mind, reminding him of when Sally used to say such things to him, when he was trying to... bring Tails to Robotropolis with him. Could Tails have gotten this crazy idea from him?  
  
He shook his head to himself. No way. Tails was smarter than that, he had to be. *Tails is a cool kid,* Sonic thought. *He wouldn't do something like this unless he had a good reason, or at least a good reason to him.*  
  
He skidded around the corner at an intersection, now heading north. He was close now, he could see. It wouldn't be too far until...  
  
Sonic slowed to a stop as he neared the signal point, helplessness coming back to him as he saw that Tails wasn't there. Only his radio, nearly smashed to pieces, resting on the cracked concrete of the sidewalk.  
  
He swore as he bent over to examine the remains. Robotnik had him now. He stood and turned until he could see the pinnacle of the Imperial Tower rising through the smog. "You've got two options, hedgehog," he said to himself. "Go back to Knothole and tell 'em Ro-Buttnik got Tails, or..."  
  
It was just him, against however many SWATbots he had in the building. Not very good odds, he had to admit. Still, time was of the essence, and he was the only one out here. "Get ready, little bro," he whispered. "I'm comin' for ya."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Tails groaned as his eyes fluttered open. His head hurt. He tried sitting up, but his wrists and ankles were shackled to a table, rotated forty-five degrees from the floor. He remembered the SWATbots coming, and he tried to run, but they got him anyway. Now he guessed he was in Robotnik's dungeon, or something.  
  
No sooner had he regained consciousness than the door before him slid open silently, and Doctor Robotnik stepped in. At first Tails thought he looked kind of funny: he was really fat, for one, the sort of fat that made you really round in the middle, like an egg. The humor in his physique faded as soon as he saw his robotic arm, and both of his false, dark eyes staring at him. He shivered.  
  
"So, it seems I've captured a little whelp in my streets," he hissed. "Where did you come from?"  
  
"I ain't tellin' you anything, Ro-Buttnik!" Tails spat.  
  
The man straightened. "I see you fraternize with a certain hedgehog I've grown to hate. That must mean you know the location of their base. Tell me where it is and I may show you mercy."  
  
"No way."  
  
"I see," he said slowly, then turned to Snively. "Prepare the roboticizor and inject this miscreant with the serum."  
  
"Oh, at once, sir," Snively replied with a touch of sadistic glee.  
  
"Did you have the SWATbots search him?"  
  
"Yes, sir," the balding little man replied from behind him. "He wasn't armed, *obviously*, but he did have this in his backpack."  
  
"What is it, Snively?" he asked staring down at the paper in his iron fist.  
  
"It was addressed to you, sir. I felt it would be intrusive to-"  
  
"Just shut up and inject him already!"  
  
"Yes, sir," Snively nearly growled, tapping the tip of the green-filled syringe.  
  
Tails looked out of the corner of his eye at Snively, who glanced back with an evil grin on his face. The needle was lowered to his neck and the man prepared to strike. The fox shouted out at Robotnik. "Aren't ya even gonna read it first, Egg-head?"  
  
"Oh, fine," he answered, rolling his eyes, "if not just to shut you up." He unfolded the paper and tried to navigate Tails' scribbly manuscript:  
  
"Dear Doctor Robotnik,  
  
"I am writing you this letter to tell you a little about myself. I am 9 years old. My name is Miles, but everyone calls me Tails. I have two of them, because I grew up next to a river that you polluted. I have always known this, but I was thinking about it today I got angry at you.  
  
"I am a Freedom Fighter, and we are constantly fighting you and your robots to take back things you stole from us. But you took away something that I can never get back. You took away the chance for a normal childhood for me, the chance to grow up in a city as great as Mobitropolis, and you made me a mutant. You changed me, Doctor Robotnik, and not with your stupid old 'Robotcisor.' You made me different in a way no one can ever reverse.  
  
"We will defeat you, Doctor Robotnik. We will defeat your army and bring you to justice. I only hope that I will be there to help defeat your 'great empire.'  
  
"You're going down. That is a threat. That is my promise.  
  
"Sincerely,  
  
"Miles 'Tails' Prower"  
  
Robotnik looked up slowly at the prisoner strapped to his torture table. He now saw how angry the kid was as he glared back at him, and now was aware of the two tails that draped to the floor behind him. There was another moment of silence, then Robotnik spoke again in his low, throaty voice, his eyes returning to their usual scowl: "You spelled roboticizor wrong."  
  
"Wait, I-"  
  
"Snively! Inject the mutant!"  
  
"At once, sir!"  
  
The needle was forcibly jabbed into Tails' neck, and he cried out as its contents were slowly and painfully forced into his bloodstream. After what seemed like an eternity it was finally removed, and he was left panting and sweating on the table. Snively calmly placed the syringe back into its case and stood to leave.  
  
Tails groggily opened his eyes, squinting as his vision began to blur. Robotnik's mouth started moving, but there was an obnoxious buzzing in his ears that prevented him from hearing what was said. He squeezed his eyes shut again, wishing the pain would stop, but it kept getting stronger and harder.  
  
When he cracked them open again the room was bathed in red, a flashing red light from an alarm somewhere. Robotnik and Snively quickly departed, and he was left alone. But soon a familiar blue hedgehog ran into the room and began undoing the table's restraints. "Don't worry, buddy," his mouth moved silently. "You're safe now..."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"Whaddya mean, 'there's nothing you can do?'"  
  
"Exactly that," Bookshire answered. "The only thing Robotnik did was inject him with the roboticizor serum. The only way to remove that is a full blood transfusion."  
  
"But he couldn't see or hear me?" Sonic protested, fists clenched. "That sounds like he did somethin'!"  
  
The doctor shook his head. "That's worn off by now, he's responding just fine. He's going to be weak for a while, but there's no lasting damage."  
  
Sally looked past Bookshire's shoulder at Tails' sleeping form. "Try not to be too hard on him, Princess?" the doctor suggested. "He is a child, after all."  
  
She sighed. "Yes... he is."  
  
Granted, it was a stupid thing that Tails had done, going off to Robotropolis, nonetheless alone. He was lucky to be alive, to tell the truth. But he was, and for that Sally was grateful. Everyone loved Tails, and if he would have been lost...  
  
Sonic looked back to his friend in the bed. "Is he awake?"  
  
Bookshire nodded. "You can talk to him, but be kind. He's been through enough hell for one day..."  
  
Sonic slowly approached the bed, being struck that he had his best friend in one cot, and his long-lost uncle in the one over. He sat down between them, wondering what he was supposed to feel at a time like this. Anger? Sadness? Grim irony?  
  
He sighed and smiled to himself, whatever he was feeling being drowned out by his outward projection. "Hey, buddy..."  
  
Tails slowly opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Sonic. "Hey, Sonic," he managed, his voice weaker than usual.  
  
"How ya feelin', Little Bro?"  
  
"Pretty lousy," the kid forced a smile, glad that Sonic wasn't yelling at him.  
  
He nodded. "Bookshire says you're gonna be fine, though. You just gotta get some rest, all right?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Sonic hung his head, glancing down at the floor of the hut. His adrenaline was wearing off, and his head felt light. His eyes squeezed shut, and he could feel the moisture under the lids.  
  
Tails noticed, too. "Sonic, are you cryin'?"  
  
"Naw," he answered quickly, "just got somethin' in my eye, that's all."  
  
The fox smiled, knowing all too well Sonic's tactics at avoiding discussing his feelings. He rolled onto his side to face him. "Sonic... Thanks, for rescuin' me."  
  
"Hey, no prob, buddy. If I didn't get ya outta there, who would?"  
  
He smiled, then rolled back over to get some rest. Sonic waited a moment, then stood, and headed for the door.  
  
"Sonic?"  
  
He smiled and turned. "Yeah, Tails?"  
  
In the darkness he could hear his stirring. "Have you... ever seen Robotnik? Face to face?"  
  
He thought. "No, I don't think I ever have. Why, is he scary?"  
  
"No," the kid almost giggled. "He's kinda funny. He's fat as an egg!"  
  
"An egg?" Sonic chuckled.  
  
"Yeah!" Tails sat up in the cot. "He's an Egg-head!"  
  
Sonic laughed. "An Egg-face!"  
  
"He's an Egg-man!"  
  
It took a moment before the laughter between them faded. "G'night, buddy."  
  
"G'night, Sonic."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Morning came too quickly for everyone. For Sonic it was only six hours of sleep, for Sally only slightly more. They met in the commons, both looking haggard and neither saying a word, which was a first.  
  
"Good morning, Sonic," Sally yawned. "How's Tails?"  
  
"I checked on him this morning, it's like nothin' ever happened to him. The kid's gotta quick recovery time."  
  
"Good, because Kara was telling me that the Freedom Stormer should be finished today. It would be a shame of Tails had to miss that."  
  
"The Freedom what?"  
  
"That's what Tails calls the plane. It was so cute, it stuck."  
  
He nodded, then stopped. "Hey, Sal, there's something that Tails said last night that got me thinkin': how many of us have actually seen Robotnik? In person?"  
  
She stopped eating her breakfast and thought for a moment. "And came back to Knothole? It can't be that many... Bunnie saw him, I know that..."  
  
"And she got, ya know," he said, gesturing with his left arm.  
  
"Yeah. Apart from Bunnie and Tails, no one comes to mind. Well, *I* saw him, too, but that was a while ago."  
  
"Wow..." he breathed. "That just blows *my* mind. I mean, *I* haven't even seen him, really."  
  
"How's Uncle Chuck? Is he awake yet?" she asked and took a bite.  
  
"Not yet, but Booker said it should be any time today."  
  
"Good. Sir Charles has a lot of information concerning my father and the resistance. It would do well to have him back at full capacity as soon as possible."  
  
"Couldn't agree more, Sal," Sonic said, taking a bite of his own breakfast. "I was plannin' on seeing 'em again after breakfast, wanna come?"  
  
"I think I will. I was headed that way myself."  
  
They ate quickly, then headed for the med-hut. As they neared the door they could hear Bookshire's agitated voice: "Please eat something!"  
  
"No, no! I wanna go out an' eat with Sonic!"  
  
"And I told you, you can go out as soon as you eat something, now here."  
  
Sonic and Sally exchanged glances before pushing the door open. "Do what Booker says, Tails."  
  
The raccoon looked over at them and sighed. "Thank you."  
  
"Oh, fine," Tails grumped and took the plate the doctor had been trying to give him. He sat down in the bed and set it on his lap, taking a bite as he watched them enter.  
  
"I see Tails is doing well," Sally smiled at the kid.  
  
"And he's a pain to handle when he's not sedated," Bookshire smiled back. "I promised him he could leave as soon as I saw him eat a decent breakfast."  
  
"How's the other patient?"  
  
Bookshire turned to face Uncle Chuck's bed. "He's still out, unfortunately. I did some tests, though, and his implants are going into remission, as planned." He sighed. "But, like Tails, he still has the nanobots in his system, those won't be coming out."  
  
Sonic looked up. "Won't that mean he'll get roboticized again?"  
  
"No, it just means that Robotnik won't have to inject him again before turning on his machine. Any nearby power source seems to trigger the nanobots to resume their programming, but we're talking about a *massive* power generator. Nothing else I've seen comes close to the roboticizor, so they should have no problems."  
  
There was a short clatter as Tails dropped the tray onto the table beside his bed. "I'm done. Can I go now?"  
  
"Yes you can, Tails," Bookshire answered. "Thank you for cooperating with me."  
  
Tails ran for the door, and Sally called out to him. "Tails, go talk to Kara! She was looking for you before!"  
  
There was a stirring in the next bed over. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here?"  
  
All heads in the room turned to face Chuck, who was struggling to sit up in his bed. "Unc!" Sonic cried, embracing him a tight hug.  
  
"Oh! Glad to see you, too, Sonic," he chuckled in his low, gravely voice. "Now, would someone mind telling me what in blazes is going on?"  
  
"Sal can take care of that," Sonic answered.  
  
Bookshire stepped out of the way for Sally to approach. "Hello, Charles."  
  
"Princess Sally Alicia," he said slowly, a smile coming to his old face. "My, it has been a long time. The last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper! You're the very image of your mother."  
  
She smiled, almost blushing. "We've freed you from Robotnik. You're in Knothole Village, west of Robotropolis."  
  
"I figured that much," he said, looking around the interior of the hut. "I've completely lost track of time, though. How long has Robotnik been in power?"  
  
"Almost twelve years now," she replied, sitting at the foot of the bed. "How much do you remember, since you've been roboticized?"  
  
"Oh, I remember all of it," he sighed, as if that was a curse.  
  
Sonic spoke up. "But I thought when you're roboticized, you-"  
  
"Don't know what's going on?" Chuck finished. "Oh, we know, we just can't *do* anything about it. All our actions are controlled by Robotnik's computers."  
  
"Bookshire, is Charles well enough to leave the bed? If he can walk we could show him around Knothole, and introduce him to everyone here."  
  
"I suppose it's all right," he answered slowly. "But, just to warn you, there has been some atrophy in his muscles. That will take time to heal."  
  
"Well, then some walkin' will do ya some good!" Sonic said. "Let's go, Unc!"  
  
Sonic and Bookshire helped Chuck out of bed, and he stumbled slightly when his feet hit the ground. "I can get a wheelchair," Bookshire offered, "if you want-"  
  
"I don't need any wheelchair, doc," Chuck replied steadfastly. "I've got to learn how to walk eventually, might as well start now."  
  
Sally and Sonic were able to help Chuck outside with a minimum of difficulty. As Sonic helped him down the steps, Sally cried out loud enough for everyone to hear: "Could I have everyone's attention, please! I'd like you all to meet Sir Charles, our first successful target of deroboticization!"  
  
An uproar went up from around the courtyard, and the assorted freedom fighters quickly made their way over to them, shouting and laughing and all talking at once. They were able to guide Chuck over to the commons, where he very gratefully took a seat and let the swarm of Mobians surround him.  
  
"Chuck! Hey, Chuck! Excuse me, please..."  
  
The crowd parted as much as it could to allow Rotor to squeeze through until he could see the man plainly. "It worked! Oh, man!"  
  
Sonic put a hand on the techie's shoulder. "Unc, this is Rotor. He's the one who's been working on the deroboticizor all this time."  
  
"Rotor, of course! I remember you. You used to come to the palace at times, and play with Sally and the others at the preschool, right?"  
  
He chuckled. "That was a long time ago, but yes, sir, that's me. Let me tell you I'm a big fan of your work, sir. I've been going through the 'pre-Robotnik' records and a lot of your designs... well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."  
  
Uncle Chuck looked around at the crowd, seeing mostly strangers. "If Rotor's here with you two, then that must mean..." He spotted the two coming over to their table. "Or course, here they come!"  
  
"*Bonjour*, Uncle Chuck!"  
  
"Hey, Charlie!"  
  
Antoine and Bunnie got as close as they could to the table, all smiles. "I remember you two! Antoine, still working on that accent, I see."  
  
He smiled. "I am getting there."  
  
Chuck tried remembering back past the decade. "And... Georgia, wasn't it?"  
  
"Well, yeah," she answered. "But I ain't heard that name in a long time." She brought up her metallic left arm so he could see it. "Ever'body mostly calls me 'Bunnie Rabbot.' Kind of a nickname."  
  
"Oh. So, you've been looking forward to this more than anybody."  
  
She nodded. "You could say that. Oh, I cain't believe this is finally happenin'!" Bunnie laughed.  
  
"Anothair step to a free Mobius," Antoine nodded.  
  
Charles sighed. "You've all grown up so much."  
  
Chuck was distracted from his reverie by a tugging on his left sleeve, and looked down to see the small fox kid looking up at him. "Hi, Uncle Chuck!" he spouted enthusiastically. "I'm Tails!"  
  
"You certainly are!" he laughed, giving his hair a shake. "Well, aren't you the adorable little nipper?"  
  
Sally and Sonic introduced Chuck to the rest of the Knothole freedom fighters for the next couple hours, which was somewhat exhausting for all of them. They spent the time until lunch discussing Bookshire's treatment plan for him, so that he would feel in the loop. They found Rotor eating with them, and he gradually influenced the conversation to turn to Chuck's past experiments.  
  
"So, Chuck," Rotor had started, talking around the food in his mouth. "What were you working on before the roboticizor project?"  
  
"Oh, let me think... That was a *long*, long time ago. The roboticizor was the culmination of my years of cybernetic research, implants and bio-mechanics and what-have-you. Before that I was mainly concerned with electronics in general, that's when I built Nicole."  
  
Sonic's eyes widened. "Whoa, you built Nicole, too?"  
  
"The prototype, anyway. It took until shortly before Robotnik's takeover to iron out all the bugs. That's when King Max commissioned me to build one for you, Princess Sally, as a birthday gift."  
  
"I remember," Sally smiled, mind recollecting events from happier times.  
  
"They were set to go on the market in only a couple months, even though they were deathly expensive. Suffice it to say, the coup put a dent in our development schedule."  
  
"Oh!" Rotor remembered, reaching into his vest pocket and producing a black-and-white photocopy, which he set on the table. "Speaking of your latest projects, what's that thing, anyway?"  
  
Sally and Sonic both leaned in to see. "Aw, man," Sonic groaned. "I almost forgot about that one."  
  
Chuck took a look at the picture, skepticism crossing his features. "When did you take this?"  
  
"We were there a couple times," Rotor replied, taking another bite as if they were talking about the weather. "It's called Doomsday, right?"  
  
"Yes..." Chuck's mind seemed preoccupied. "It's a weapon Robotnik's building. There were construction sites all over Robotropolis making pieces of it. About a year-and-a-half, two years ago all the pieces were moved to another position entirely and put together by another team."  
  
"Yeah, but what is it?" Sonic asked.  
  
"To tell you the truth, Sonie, I just don't know. Robotnik only gave us enough information to let us build our section of it. He's paranoid that way."  
  
Rotor pulled out a rough blueprint of the machine and placed it on top of the photo. "So what do all these sections do?" He noticed the amused look Sonic was giving him. "What? I was bored one day, I drew up a schem."  
  
"It's one of the launch/control arms. It's a two-man cockpit. Their goal is to send out the weapons pods and control them remotely from the safety of the air."  
  
"Wait," Sally held up her hands. "Weapons... pods? Perhaps you should explain, Charles."  
  
"Right, sorry. As far as I can tell, the Doomsday sends out small hover-pods filled with short-range weaponry, that can be controlled by each cockpit setup. I guess Robotnik plans on searching all of Mobius for the resistance cells, wiping them out one by one."  
  
"So, he's finally graduated past 'annoyed,'" she grinned. "I think I know where it's being built, too. Some of the other cells reported seeing a massive structure being built not far from Blue Canyon. Based on the description they gave us it could be Doomsday."  
  
"Do you have a remote uplink terminal here?" Charles asked, mind already working out a plan.  
  
"Yeah," Rotor replied, "in the lab. Why?"  
  
"I may be able to hack into Robotnik's data network and find the exact location of Doomsday. I still remember most of the codes he *downloaded* into me, so it might work."  
  
"If you think you're up to it, Charles, by all means, go ahead. Rotor will help you out with whatever you need."  
  
"Thank you, Sally," he smiled. "It's not hard to see why everyone here looks up to you."  
  
Kara approached the rail at the edge of the commons and leaned her head in. "Princess Sally? Can I see you for a second?"  
  
"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," she said and stood. She crossed the short distance to the edge of the commons. "What is it, Kara?"  
  
"We're making arrangements for the Freedom Stormer's maiden flight," the mechanic told her, "and we've got a seat extra. You interested?"  
  
"Sure, I'll come. I'm glad you thought of me."  
  
"Well, you were first on the list. With all the hours you put in flying the old cargo pod we used to have, you were a natural candidate."  
  
"When were you planning on leaving?"  
  
"We're starting pre-flights now. If you come on over I can show you the controls."  
  
"I'll be over as soon as I'm done here," she said. Kara nodded and left, and Sally returned to the table. She wasted no time getting back to business. "Sonic, we need visual confirmation on the Doomsday tower. If Charles is right, we're going to need a battle plan, and quickly."  
  
"So ya want me to juice out there and take a look? No prob!"  
  
She nodded. "When you get within visual range, call back to Charles on the radio and tell him what it looks like, and where the exact coordinates are. If it is Doomsday, we need to get moving."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Like the fine-tuned machine Knothole had been developed to be, the two plans went swiftly into action. As Sonic departed for the Blue Canyon in the west, the Freedom Stormer took off from their impromptu airstrip in a clearing away from camp. Kara was flying, with Sally in the copilot's seat, and Grease and Tails in the back.  
  
Using Uncle Chuck's directions Sonic was able to reach the canyon in just under an hour. He looked around, unable to see anything resembling a deadly super-weapon. "Where is it, Unc?" he spoke into the radio. "I don't see anything."  
  
"It's there, Sonie, about a league north. It will be kind of hard to find -- most of it's underground."  
  
The hedgehog took off again, jumping down into the canyon and speeding off as soon as he hit the ground. It wasn't long after he exited the ravine that he saw the massive structure emerging from the ground ahead. Compared to most of the buildings in Robotropolis it was nothing special, but in pretty much the middle of nowhere it dwarfed everything around it.  
  
Sonic stopped to make sure he was out of sight of whomever might have been guarding the place, then picked up his radio. He described the building to Chuck, who sighed as soon as he was finished. "That's it, Sonie, I'm sure of it. Head on back, we can tell Princess Sally when she returns."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
After an hour or two of flying and putting the plane through its paces, Kara decided to make a landing and inspect the engine. They were able to spot a small glen below them, one wide enough to allow for the wingspan of the craft. While Kara inspected the plane Sally began looking around, realizing that she had never been this way before. The trees and plants around the clearing were unfamiliar to her, and she took a small sampling of what she saw to bring back to Knothole.  
  
The ride back was a quiet flight, until the little monkey decided to inject some excitement into the trip. Grease leaned over to Tails, eyes narrowed. "So, kid..." he said slowly, sounding like some kind of drug dealer. "I heard you, uh, took off and went to Robotropolis, huh?"  
  
Tails turned to him, shocked. "You know about that?"  
  
"Pssh. The whole *camp* knows about that! Everyone's talkin' about what a stupid little kid you are."  
  
"I'm not stupid," Tails pouted, trying to inch farther away from him. "I got confused, that's all."  
  
"Whatever, buddy. You're just lucky Robotnik didn't get to you, or you'd never see Knothole again."  
  
"He did get me..." Tails replied slowly, rubbing the spot on his neck where he had been injected. "But I'm still here."  
  
Grease obviously didn't hear him, and began looking out the window. When a loud *thump* sounded in the cabin he looked up quickly. "What was that?"  
  
"Just a little turbulence," Kara called back. "Looks like a small storm starting up. Nothing big."  
  
But in only a few minutes, the storm had grown in intensity, until they could barely see out their windows from the rain coming down. The pattering of the drops on the outer skin of the plane made it hard to hear anything else. "We're still okay," Kara yelled. "I've got autopilot set to Knothole."  
  
"How far away are we?" Sally called.  
  
"We'll be back in three minutes," she answered. "That is, if we don't-"  
  
The windows around the plane suddenly lit up, and the air was torn by the titanic crash of thunder. Then the lightning was inside, sparking and dancing off the control board. It lashed out like fire across the two front chairs, playing off the walls and ceiling before finally dying down. The plane violently lurched to one side and began a corkscrewing descent to the ground.  
  
"What was that?" Grease freaked. He looked up, seeing that Sally and Kara had both slumped forward in their chairs, and were not moving. "Oh my god, oh my god! No one's flying the plane! We're gonna die!"  
  
"Chill out!" Tails unbuckled his belt and worked his way up into the front of the cockpit. "Aunt Sally?" No response.  
  
Tails had to act quickly. "Grease, help me move 'em."  
  
The chimp stammered a reply, then helped Tails unbuckle the two women and move them to the back. Tails jumped into the pilot's chair, ordering Grease to the one beside. "Now do exactly as I tell you, or we're going to die."  
  
He nodded vigorously. Tails gripped the steering yoke tightly, pulling back with all his might. It took a moment for the controls to respond, but the plane was eventually leveled a good distance from the ground. "See if the radio works," he told him, concentrating on flying the plane. He had never flown in conditions like that before, and had only been in the air a handful of times besides. But he had helped build almost every inch of the craft, and liked to think he knew what he was doing.  
  
"The radio's out!" Grease flipped out again.  
  
"The lightning shorted out all the electronics," Tails observed. "Which means the autopilot's gone, too."  
  
"Ah! What're we gonna do!"  
  
"We're going to land, somewhere," he answered, peering out the window and trying to make out anything outside. He looked for the window wiper controls, but they were already at maximum, which didn't help in the downpour.  
  
Tails had to check the artificial horizon to make sure he was going straight. Now he was grateful he had been talking to Kara while she was fixing the plane, and knew what direction they had been heading before. He tapped the compass on the dash, then made the changes to his heading accordingly. Now all that was left was to find a suitable landing area.  
  
As he was looking out the window the rain suddenly slowed; not stopped, but noticeably diminished. He could see the forest around him, much closer than Tails expected it to be. Then he saw a clearing in the cloud of trees ahead, which was as good a place as any. He extended the landing gear, his mind running through the landing procedures Kara had taught him.  
  
It was shorter than the landing strip, but it was too late to change now. As soon as they cleared the trees he dropped the plane sharply, the wheels skidded against the ground. Tails reached over to kill the engine, and the plane made a bone-jarring drop onto the grass. When at long last the craft slowed to a stop mere feet from the tree line, Tails released his breath. He had done it.  
  
He turned to Grease, who was clutching his chair in a white-knuckled grip. "Let's get back to Knothole. Sally and Kara need help."  
  
**END OF CHAPTER**  
  
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Workin' Mah Way Up...  
  
Putting my fics up on FanFiction.net (FF.N for those in the know) has been great! I've got three reviews now! So, lemme give a shout out to Ambre, Angnix, and Aiglon15: *arigato* ya'll! (Ya see, I got this all figured out, start at the A's and work my way up from there ^_^)  
  
-AE  
  
AS WE WENT TO PRINT:  
  
RamenNoodles from FF.N was gracious enough to send me a review as well, along with the shocking news that NONE OF NICOLE'S DIALOGUE WAS SHOWING UP! GOOD GOOGA-MOOGA! The prob was that instead of quotation marks ("") I was using triangular brackets (, see they don't show up!), which the FF.N compiler recognizes as HTML tags, heh... I went through and changed it all to straight brackets (||), so it's there now, if you want to go back and re-read it. You didn't miss much, but I suggest you read the opening scene to Chapter 4 (Light); SatAM fans should remember and get a kick out of that. Again, sorry 'bout that. Nevermind the bullocks... -AE 


	9. 3237, Day 192 : Gathering

12 /14 /03  
  
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux  
  
By Antipode Echidna  
  
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com  
  
Mobian Time: Year 3237, Day 192  
  
Episode: Gathering  
  
Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by totally rad copyright laws... Woo-hoo!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Jewel (c) Antipode Echidna / Adam Czech. Please ask permission before using any of my charas, thanx!  
  
Sonic ran in from the forest path back into Knothole, his mission to  
  
the communications network completed in record time. It was a lot easier now that they had the network up and running again; after Robotnik's relic-hunting attacks all of the posts had to be relocated. Now that they had more of them, however, he didn't have to run nearly so far to get their messages delivered. And his latest was a doozy: the Doomsday station had been identified, and the attack was coming soon. Sally had spent several days composing the communiqué, which also commanded all freedom cells under twenty members to join up with another cell close-by. With such a large-scale invasion pending, teamwork and strength in numbers were two things absolutely essential. Additional instructions would follow as they were worked out.  
  
Tails was there at the mouth of the passage to great him, as usual. "Heya, Sonic!"  
  
"Hey, Little Bro," he answered, smiling. "What's shakin'?"  
  
"Oh, not much," he replied. "Aunt Sally just left a while ago."  
  
Sonic nodded. She had been talking that morning about going to Robotropolis to find more clues about her father, maybe find some help on how to launch an offensive against Doomsday. This was something she had never done before, and she needed help now more than ever. "Who'd she take with her?" he asked.  
  
"I think she went alone. She took Brainerd's motorcycle."  
  
Sonic's initial emotion was surprise, but that quickly subsided. It was to be expected, he supposed, but still somewhat irresponsible of her. Everyone knew how dangerous going into Robotropolis without backup was. "How did Ant handle that?"  
  
"I don't think he's here, either. Him n' Aunt Bunnie went down to the lake this morning."  
  
Sonic smiled and rolled his eyes as he started into camp. "Some war we're fightin' here; everyone's goin' off everyplace. So, who's holdin' down the fort?"  
  
"I think Miss Lupe's takin' care of things," Tails followed.  
  
A logical choice. Lupe was the leader of the Wolfpack freedom cell, originally based out of the Badlands. They had come at Sally's request to join them at Knothole, since they themselves had recently come under attack by Robotnik's forces, and their numbers had dwindled to a mere ten. Brainerd, from whom Sally had apparently borrowed transportation, was part of their group, their vehicle specialist.  
  
Sonic made his way over to Sally's office, which sort of became her and Lupe's joint office for the time being. She was very knowledgeable in the ways of warfare, and was roughly ten years Sonic and Sally's senior. Her expertise was favored by Sally, and all of Knothole.  
  
He pushed the door open, hearing his Uncle Chuck's voice from within. "Yes, ma'am, he's going to be all right. Everything's turned back to normal, and he'll be resting in the medical hut for the next twenty-four hours."  
  
Lupe answered him, her voice neither low nor high, but rich and vibrant. "Thank you, Charles. And I'm sure Derst will thank you, too, when he awakens."  
  
Charles left the room, patting Sonic on the shoulder as he passed. Uncle Chuck had sure grown accustomed to his new life at Knothole quickly. He spent most of time now assisting Rotor with the deroboticizor, keeping it up in shape enough to help the constant stream of 'patients' they received. While regaining his strength from his own procedure he and Sonic had spent much time together, catching up on his nephew's life over the past twelve years.  
  
"Hey, Lupe," Sonic greeted. "How's it goin'? How's your buddy Derst?"  
  
She bowed her head. "Much better, indeed. Your Uncle Charles has assured me he will make a full recovery."  
  
She spoke slowly, steadily, as if with an unnatural patience. As with most of the times he was in her presence Sonic found himself staring at her, the way she looked, the way she moved. Lupe had spent her entire life surrounded by nature, in a society that revered and preserved it. The gray-furred wolf was strong and athletic, her hair and tail highlighted by black. The only thing marring her flawless features was a horizontal scar beneath her left eye, which merely served to impress that she had her fair share of rough scrapes as well.  
  
"Uh, glad to hear it," stammered, forcing himself to look away. "Hey, you know where Brainerd is?"  
  
"Last I knew, he was in the vehicle garage with Kara," she answered in her steady tone.  
  
"Man, those two are somethin' else, huh? Get 'em together and they just start talkin', and no one else can understand what they're sayin'!"  
  
She smiled pleasantly. "That's the way their kind operates, I suppose. One could say a higher level of language."  
  
"Yeah. How long ago did Sal leave?"  
  
"About an hour after you left. She went alone, and took Brainerd's motorcycle."  
  
"That's what I heard," he tried not to sound agitated. "That means she's probably there by now." He sighed. "I just hope she knows what she's doin'."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
At that moment Sally was about a kilometer away from Robotropolis city limits, able to see the place where the barren landscape abruptly turned to industrial canyons. She peered out from the visor of the black helmet she had borrowed along with the bike, seeing a suitable place to stash the vehicle until she had to leave. She opened up the throttle a little more, and the motorcycle responded in kind with a sharp increase in its pleasant growling.  
  
She eased off the accelerator as soon as she was in the city, quickly bringing the bike into an abandoned building and killing the engine. She pulled the helmet off her head, shaking her brown hair loose with her other hand, and annoyed at the fact that she would have 'helmet head' for the rest of the day. She placed it on the seat and grabbed her pack as she left.  
  
Seeing as how she was alone, stealth was definitely a priority. Before she left she had abandoned her everyday outfit in favor of some of Bunnie's dark-colored clothing, which would help her evade detection a little more. She had voiced the opinion that her bushy tail could pose a problem, but that was something she would have to deal with.  
  
Sally pulled Nicole from the pocket of her black jacket, flipping it open to check her map once more before starting off. She had told everyone back at Knothole that she would be looking for information about her father, which was partly true. What she didn't say was that King Max had contacted her telepathically again, giving her more details of his location. It had been nearly two years since he had first called to her in that way, and several times since. Now she knew she had to get him back; she couldn't fight Robotnik's Doomsday machine alone.  
  
She started off down the street, taking random turns on a path that would take her to the Imperial Tower. They had been sloppy going there at first, taking the same path several times before she realized that probably wasn't the best plan to avoid capture. Robotnik could easily set up sentries and cameras if he found them once, then going that way again would, as Sonic had put it, "screw them over."  
  
Sally had also taken care to find another way into the palace, a door to the old servant's quarters in the north. It was still in the building's blackout region, and so probably unprotected by any SWATbots, but much closer to the functioning areas of the tower, where she needed to go.  
  
She took the way patiently, knowing that hurrying only made stress. She chose alertness instead, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything that would signal someone watching her. She approached the base of the tower cautiously, her boots making no sound against the pavement. She brandished her computer. "Nicole, scan for any security mechanisms, please."  
  
|Scanning, Sally... No security mechanisms found, Sally.|  
  
"Good. Unlock the door, please."  
  
|Complying...|  
  
Sally waited, glancing around her to make sure she wouldn't be caught off guard. The street around was empty, and for that she was grateful. The lock on the door clicked, and she reached for the handle.  
  
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"  
  
The voice was clear as day in her ears, and Sally spun around, thinking she'd come face to face with a squad of SWATbots or some street thugs. Instead, she saw empty street. Sally's eyes darted around warily, knowing she had heard someone whispering into her ears. She reached for the door again, and once more the voice sounded. "You're an awfully long ways from home, Princess."  
  
This time there were two distinct sources, one whispering into her ear, and the other was a handful of yards away, in a darkened alleyway. Both were the same voice, a forceful, accented woman's voice; but it was as if she were speaking through a radio Sally wore inside her ear. It was then she realized it wasn't in her ears, it was in her *mind.* She was speaking the same way her father had spoken to her several times in the past, with telepathy.  
  
Sally peered into the smog, trying to find the speaker. "Who's there? I demand you show yourself."  
  
She stepped from the shadows into plain sight, with a sense of purpose and strength of determination. She was feline in build, with dark gray fur, and raven hair that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were an emerald green, and her face was youthful, probably not much older than Sally. She wore a dusty cape that wrapped around her shoulders, down to below her waist, over a dark jumpsuit and heavy boots. She took several steps toward Sally before speaking. "Such demands must not be made lightly. You don't know if I'm friend o' foe."  
  
"How do you know who I am?" Sally asked, standing straighter and refusing to give any sign of weaknesses to this person.  
  
"I know more than most would give me credit for," she replied. "And I know why you're heah. I must warn you against this plan of yours, Princess. You have no idea what you're getting you'self into."  
  
"Sorry," Sally raised her eyebrows and reached for the door. "I try not to take advice from strangers."  
  
She hung her head and closed her eyes, as if remembering something. "King Max would have had it no othe' way. You wouldn't remembe', but I've seen you before, and I've talked with your father, both before and after he was sent to the Void."  
  
Now Sally was visibly disturbed. "How do you know where my father is? And how could you have spoken to him before?"  
  
She smiled, not a sign of pleasantry but of amusement. "I can take you to him, if you wish. But do unde'stand, what I show you, you will not be able to explain. So don't even try. These are things that were never meant to be tampe'ed with."  
  
Sally had no idea what she was talking about, but nodded. "I understand. Please show me the way."  
  
She nodded silently. "By the way," she glanced out of the corner of her eye, gliding past her. "You can call me Jewel."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
For one of the few times in his life, Sonic was bored with nothing to do. He made a trip round the camp, making sure everything was running smoothly, which it was. Even though they were preparing for a large-scale invasion -- certainly a first for him -- none of the strategizing for the battle could be done without Sally there. He found himself wandering, and acquiesced to sitting alone in the commons, trying to get some rest.  
  
That was harder than it should have been. Sonic was usually able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat, especially when he was supposed to be doing something else. But as his mind worked he found himself worried about Sally. He had done solo missions before and, contrary to what he told everyone, he got nervous, and almost made fatal mistakes. Whatever he told himself he couldn't help but have this nagging feeling that something was going to happen to her.  
  
After an hour or so he couldn't take it anymore and left the table, deciding to take a walk in the forest around camp. He shoved his hands deep into in his pockets as he made his way around the web of paths that wound through the Great Forest. He kept his head down and went slowly, his mind racing with thoughts that didn't seem to come in any particular order. When at last he stopped to notice where he was, he had wandered down to the spring about a half-kilometer from Knothole.  
  
He smiled as he saw it, sparkling in the sunlight, the bright green trees swaying gently in the wind. He remembered coming down here as a kid, to get away from all of the rules and regulations imposed on them by Julayla, Sally's caretaker in the first years after the coup. She had taken it upon herself to watch after the five of them -- Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor were the other three -- in the wake of Robotnik's takeover, but Sonic had been going through tough times.  
  
The hedgehog's smile faded as he took a step toward the pool, remembering Julayla, King Max, Amadeus Prower, and all the other friends and relatives they had lost along the way. He pushed it from his mind a moment later. Now wasn't the time to be opening up the old wounds, not when he was needed here, in the present, where all his compatriots were counting on him.  
  
Sonic then became aware of someone else at the edge of the spring, and turned to look. It was Lupe, sitting close to the water with her legs and tail folded beneath her, hands in her lap, head bowed and eyes closed. He faltered for a moment, then turned.  
  
"It's all right, Sonic," the woman calmly called to him. "You aren't disturbing me."  
  
He slowly turned back. "How'd ya know it was me?"  
  
"Several ways," she answered, her mouth the only part of her body actually moving. "Your gait is very distinctive. If you're not running, you tend to shuffle your feet."  
  
"Oh," he muttered, then chuckled to hide his embarrassment. "You've got good ears, Lupe."  
  
"You learn to listen, when you've been in the wild as long as I have, when your very survival depends on how well you know your surroundings."  
  
"Yeah..." he sighed, looking out at the lake, "guess so..."  
  
"Something troubling you, Sonic?" she asked, opening one eye to look at him.  
  
"I'm just worried about Sal, I guess. You know, I never think about what would happen if my friends weren't here anymore. We seem to lose freedom fighters all the time, but what if it was one of my closest friends?"  
  
"I know your feelings," Lupe quietly responded. "I had to go through that myself, long ago."  
  
"Ya did?"  
  
She nodded. "Just after Robotnik took over. My father was one of the first killed in the primary attack, before the rest of us could get to safety. It was so long ago, but I still remember all of it. It took me a long while to get over that loss."  
  
Sonic understood, and nodded. "Have you lost a lot of your family?"  
  
"I count all of my fellow clansmen as my family. And yes, I have lost many of them."  
  
He waited a moment before speaking again. "How do you deal with something like that?"  
  
"It is a slow process, Sonic. I've found it best to concentrate more on the good things, on the pleasant memories." Her hands tightened around the object she was holding. "We will all pass from this world with time. Once you know this simple truth, you deal with death differently."  
  
"You mean it makes it easier?" he asked, coming closer.  
  
"Not always. At times it makes it more difficult."  
  
His gaze fell to her hands, and he was able to notice the small stone she held. "What's that rock?" he asked her. "...If you don't mind me askin'."  
  
She held it out so he could see it. It was a stone carving, covered with strange etchings that reminded Sonic of the Emerald Hill artifacts. "This is a deep power stone," she replied, looking up at him. "My father gave me this not long before his death. Now it's one of the only things I have to remember him by."  
  
Sonic looked it over quizzically. "What's it for?"  
  
"The power stones are artifacts of the Ancient Peoples. It is said that, in times of great need, the power stones can be used to unlock forces beyond the realm of mortal understanding. It was my father's wish to locate the stones and use them to bring justice against Robotnik. After his death, I took it upon myself to carry out his wishes. My second, Lobo, bears the second stone, and I have instructed him to keep it separate from the other until I command him otherwise."  
  
Sonic's eyes had widened. "Wow. That's really somethin'. And you're gonna use these suckers against Robotnik?"  
  
Lupe shook her head. "They can be used once, and then are returned to their places of holding. I have not yet found the method in which to use them, or what the effects would be."  
  
"We should find out," he suggested. "Something packin' this much *oomph* could really do some mondo damage."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
After their one-sided introduction Jewel proceeded to lead Sally through the corridors of the Imperial Tower, to an elevator and down to one of the building's lowest sublevels. As the minutes passed the princess found herself suspicious at the stranger's uncanny knowledge of the palace, and had the lurking suspicion that this was somehow a trap.  
  
After a while she built up the courage to ask her: "So how do you know the layout of the palace so well?"  
  
"I spend a lot of time heah," she answered without slowing. "For mostly the same reason as you, I'd suppose."  
  
Not wishing to be strung along further on that tangent she let it go. By now they were so far into the underground she had no idea where they were, so going back wasn't an option. She had no choice but follow, wherever she was being taken. "Why aren't there any guards down here?" she asked Jewel, noticing the absence of any of Robotnik's robots.  
  
"I think Robotnik's all but fo'gotten about this place. Either that or he just doesn't think anyone will find it."  
  
*That doesn't sound like Robotnik,* Sally didn't say. *He usually has guards of some kind.*  
  
"Tell me, Princess: how much do you know about the Void?"  
  
"Nothing, really," she admitted. "Robotnik sent my father there more than ten years ago, but I don't know what it is, or where it is."  
  
"Information about it is spa'se at best," Jewel nodded, "but I've been able to piece together facts about it. It seems to be an alte'nate dimension to ours, slightly shifted so that it inte'sects with our reality in only a handful of locations. Robotnik unlocked one of them before the takeove', with the help of a fellow by the name of Ixis Naugus."  
  
"Oh my gosh," Sally breathed. "Robotnik's working with Naugus?"  
  
Jewel smiled. "Then you've heard of him?"  
  
She shook her head with disbelief. "He was a... sorcerer, of all things, a radical. He claimed he had mystic powers and could access other levels of existence. He used to work for my father until he was expelled from the kingdom."  
  
"Expelled, yes, but he never left. Robotnik picked him up on his way out of town, convinced him to work for him. Secretly, of cou'se. By then Robotnik already had his sights set on your kingdom, he just needed the means to execute that plan, part of which was deposing and disposing of your father."  
  
"So Naugus... created the Void," Sally worked out, the pieces starting to fit together. "Then trapped my father in it so Robotnik could take over."  
  
"Bingo. Then, of cou'se, Robotnik double-crossed Naugus, and trapped him in the Void, too."  
  
"How do you know all this?"  
  
"No offense intended, Princess, but I've been researching the Void a lot longe' than you."  
  
"So you know where it is, and how to get inside?"  
  
"Yes. But, don't get your hopes up. Getting your father out is far from that simple."  
  
Sally continued walking in silence. It was as if Jewel was giving her just enough information to keep her interested, to keep her from turning back and leaving. How could she know so much about what happened in the events surrounding the coup? Surely she couldn't be old enough to have been there, to have experienced it all first-hand? Whatever was going on, she felt closer to her father than ever before. She had to keep going, even if it meant trusting her fate to this stranger.  
  
*You can trust her...*  
  
Her father's voice whispered in her mind, and she smiled, feeling his presence strengthen the farther she went.  
  
Jewel turned her head to look at Sally out of the corner of her eye. "You hear him, yes?"  
  
"Yes," Sally quietly replied. "How much farther?"  
  
"Almost there." As they continued into the tunnels, Jewel continued to explain. "When Naugus began his research there was great controversy as to whether or not the dimensions he found existed before hand, or if they were in fact his own creations, as he claimed. Those few who accepted his findings were torn between the two opinions, but after Naugus was labeled a heretic and became an outcast, no one seemed to care anymore.  
  
"The only thing that's fact is that to link the dimensional gap between this wo'ld and the Void, he requi'ed a massive gateway device, and the means with which to operate it."  
  
"And I assume you know how to use this gateway?"  
  
"I do." It was only a few minutes later that Jewel guided her into a door that looked no different from the others around. She cautiously entered, still expecting the worst. There were no 'bots inside, but the majority of the large room was occupied by computer equipment. She looked around, seeing that it was all one large device, the focus of which was an immense pair of rounded braces on the far wall.  
  
"This is the gateway?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
Jewel nodded, already moving to a large panel that looked to be the controls. She produced a disk from her pocket and inserted it into an invisible slot, then set to work, her hands flying expertly over the buttons and activating the gate.  
  
Sally wished she could see how she was doing it, but by the time she had crossed the room to look Jewel was finished. There was a tremendous surge of electricity and the lights in the room dimmed. She turned to face the brackets, as the edges of each sparked, spewing rays of lightning that melded to form a flat pane, the surface of which was a writhing and pulsing mass of color. Sally stared wide-eyed, approaching carefully.  
  
"This is what you wanted, yes?" Jewel called out, her voice nearly drowned out by an inaudible hum from the machinery.  
  
"Are you coming, too?" Sally asked over her shoulder, eyes still transfixed on the portal.  
  
"I'll follow behind you. There are things I need to do on my end, to make sure you aren't trapped inside."  
  
That one concerned Sally more than ever. She was about to protest, when she heard her father's voice again, this time from the gateway itself. "You can trust her..."  
  
Sally smiled, and took a step toward the portal. As she neared, the colors swimming in the pane became separated, like looking through a tinted mirror. She reached a hand out toward the field, feeling the electric power it produced. She closed her eyes and stepped forward, her entire body entering and washing over her. The feeling was unique, strange, but not unpleasant. Her entire body was tingling as she crossed, her body was light and she was floating.  
  
She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she finally decided to open her eyes, but she was amazed at what she saw when she did. There were colors everywhere she looked, even above and below her. There was no floor or ceiling that she could tell, she was suspended in the air, hovering in the space. Sally tried to make sense of her surroundings, but soon found herself extremely disoriented, and her mind started swimming.  
  
"You'll get used to it," a crackly, hissing voice chuckled. He was somewhere behind her, but she couldn't turn to look. "*I* had to."  
  
She felt helpless, unable to move, unable to speak. She wanted to cry out to her father, or to Jewel, but her mouth refused to operate. "You're trying too hard, child," the voice continued. "Stop trying to move your *body*. That doesn't mean anything here."  
  
She had no idea what he was talking about, which worked out well with the rest of her day. She could feel the speaker coming closer to her, but couldn't do anything about it. She was grabbed by an impossibly strong hand, and dragged backwards.  
  
"Hands off, buddy!" Jewel called out, and the hand holding her suddenly released.  
  
She walked calmly over to where Sally was floating, small patches of floor appearing and disappearing with each of her footfalls. "I forgot to warn you. The Void doesn't react with your physical body at all, just your mind. Just concentrate."  
  
Sally worked at it, and found herself gradually able to move her limbs. She found her feet touching something solid, even though nothing was there. She stood, blinking and looking around.  
  
"Now then," Jewel continued. "What do ya think *you* were doing, Naugus?"  
  
Sally spun, seeing the man who had been speaking to her before. He was an Overlander, old and hunched, with a long white beard that stretched to his chest. He was wearing robes of some sort, and eyed Sally with a nervous, hollow-eyed stare. "Jewel?" he hissed at her with contempt. "What are you doing here again?"  
  
"Showing the princess around," she smiled casually, which seemed to irritate the man even more. "What are you still doing here?"  
  
"Very amusing," he rolled his eyes. "She's looking for her father, no doubt." He looked at her again for a moment, grinning hungrily, then turned back to look up at Jewel. "Don't suppose you've figured out how to let me out yet, hmm?"  
  
She crossed her arms and stared the little man down. "As if. I wouldn't let you out for anything, not afte' the things you've done. You know that."  
  
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Can't blame a guy for trying."  
  
She sniffed as he turned to leave, walking a ways away from them before turning an invisible corner and disappearing from sight. Sally whispered to Jewel: "He doesn't seem as dangerous as I remember."  
  
"There are several reasons for that," she answered, still watching the spot Naugus had walked to. "One of those is that I'm just as powerful as he when in the Void. He's quickly lea'ned to... behave himself when I'm around."  
  
"Thank you, by the way, for coming with me."  
  
"No problem. Here's someone else you might want to say thanks to."  
  
Sally turned to follow her gaze, seeing another man coming toward them, taller than Naugus, moving with a regal air, a smile on his lips.  
  
"Daddy!" Sally cried out and ran forward, jumping into her father's arms and hugging him tightly. "Oh, Daddy, I've missed you so much!"  
  
"I've missed you, too, Bean," his gentle voice was soothing to her ears. "It's great to finally see you, after all this time."  
  
She looked up at him through tear-streaked eyes, unable to find the words she wanted to say. She had been dreaming of this moment since the day of the coup, almost every night she was a child. She pressed harder against her father, the exiled king, grateful to have his arms around her again.  
  
"How very touching," Naugus reappeared, completely shattering the moment. "Don't get too attached, missy. You can't take him with you. We're both stuck here."  
  
"Silence, Naugus," the king ordered calmly, but with enough force to make the old man backpedal. "It is enough just to see my daughter again."  
  
She looked up into his warm eyes, smiling. "I want so much to get you out of here."  
  
"Robotnik has all the control codes for the Void," Jewel spoke up. "Without them, we can't bring out anyone he put in."  
  
"I just wanted to see you again," Sally whispered. "We're going against Robotnik soon, almost all of the freedom fighters are joining us at Knothole. I hoped... that you would help me. I don't feel strong enough to do this alone."  
  
"You're never alone, Sally," he lifted her chin. "Even if I'm not there with you, there are others who can support you. Don't be afraid to ask for their help." He smiled. "It's a lot easier than coming here to ask for mine."  
  
Sally nodded, reaching up to wipe her eyes. "You won't be here forever, Daddy. You have my word. I will get you out of here."  
  
His kindly face seemed to glow as he answered her. "I have no doubt that you will, Bean. But don't think so much about me that you forget about your own duties. While I'm in here, the throne is rightfully yours. Never forget that."  
  
"I won't."  
  
They embraced once more, pulling back with hesitation only after Jewel interrupted: "I think we should go now. We've kind of ove'stayed our welcome."  
  
As Sally said her farewells Jewel brought a small device from her pocket and switched it on. "Usually a person needs to be recalled from the main controls," she told her. "But I've rigged it to return your code, and a code I've hard-wi'ed for myself. I just have to warn you, though: this part gets a little weird."  
  
She pressed the button, and Sally gasped. It was like she was being stretched in all directions, and she looked over to her father for the last time, as her field of vision contracted and expanded strangely. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sensations, and when she opened them again she was sprawled out on the floor in the gateway control room.  
  
She got up and brushed the dust from her black jacket as Jewel stepped out of the flat pane of energy. She crossed over to the controls without missing a beat, disconnecting her equipment and deactivating the gate. It sparked and vanished, the lights in the room returning to their normal brightness.  
  
Jewel quietly led Sally back up to the surface, neither of them speaking of the Void, or the things they had just seen. When they finally exited the Tower, Sally gave the woman her genuine thanks.  
  
"Why don't you come with me back to Knothole?" she offered. "We're always looking for good people to help us in our quest against Robotnik. With your knowledge of this area you could be a great asset."  
  
"Thanks, but no," the cat shook her head. "I've got my own quest that needs completing. But keep your ears open. I may see you around."  
  
She left down the street, turned into a darkened alley and was gone. Sally quietly returned to her motorcycle and headed back to Knothole.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sally wandered down to the spring late that night, thinking over the mission to the city. She took walks in the dark often, mostly to clear her head from the pressures of running the operation at Knothole. As she saw the moon reflected off the placid surface of the lake, she noticed Sonic on a log nearby. She approached him quietly, sitting down beside him. "Is this seat taken?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, hey, Sal. How'd the mission go?"  
  
"Well," she nodded. "I was kind of wondering what happened to you. I haven't seen you at camp since I've gotten back."  
  
"I've been up here," he answered, turning back to face the water. "Been doin' a lotta thinkin'."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"This whole Doomsday thing, mostly. This is somethin' huge, way bigger than any of us."  
  
"I've been thinking about that, too," Sally said quietly, then took a breath. "I found my father in Robotropolis. He said that if we were going to beat Doomsday, I had to learn to trust in my friends more."  
  
"You found King Max? That's great! Ain't it?"  
  
She sighed. "I found him, but I can't release him yet. Robotnik has all the control codes. Without those, he's trapped in there."  
  
"Oh," his enthusiasm faded. "Don't worry, Sal," he reached over to take one of her hands in his. "We'll beat this thing. We'll get your dad back and beat Doomsday and all of it. Everything will be fine."  
  
She looked down at his hands, then up into his eyes. "I hope so, Sonic. I really hope you're right."  
  
**END OF CHAPTER**  
  
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Here We Are Again  
  
Another week, another chapter. Got a couple tidbits of news, for the interested. One, I've resubmitted all the chapters at FF.N, 'cuz their translator kinda messed up my others ones. I've reformatted them to suit that site better. For those of you reading this on SonicVerse, well, then you won't see this for a couple weeks, because they don't update that quickly, and their format's just fine, so you don't get nuthin'. You will notice, however, that all the chapters from this point forward will be different.  
  
Two, would RamenNoodles please call me, e-mail me, whatever? Your review of my work was something cryptic, something about plotholes and major plot problems. Heh, I'd like to know what you were referring to, if you don't mind. So, e-mail's at SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com. Send me a line, give me feedback I can use.  
  
Da rest o' yas, keep sending in reviews and feedback messages. If you read this stuff, lemme know, let me feel appreciated. Peace out.  
  
-AE 


	10. 3237, Day 288 : Vanquish

12 /30 /03  
  
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux  
  
By Antipode Echidna  
  
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com  
  
Mobian Time: Year 3237, Day 288  
  
Episode: Vanquish  
  
Story (c) 2003 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by totally rad copyright laws... Woo-hoo!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Chip and Cruiser, Kara and Grease (c) Antipode Echidna / Adam Czech. Please ask permission before using any of my charas, thanx!  
  
The shuttle doors opened, and Doctor Ivo Robotnik set foot on Doomsday. He took two steps into the hangar, forcing Snively to wait in the vehicle while he reveled in this moment, his moment. He took a deep breath, inhaling all the chemicals that were wafting through the air. It was truly a beautiful thing.  
  
"Look at it, Snively," he hissed, mostly for his own benefit. "Isn't my creation marvelous?"  
  
"Wonderful, sir," the little man replied with more than a hint of disdain in his voice. It had not escaped his notice that Robotnik had something of an ego, and he did all he could not to encourage it.  
  
"Doomsday is nearly operational," he continued, starting down the hallway to the command center for the facility. "And then, those miserable little fur balls will be out of my hair for good."  
  
Snively followed him silently, looking around at the disgusting waste of time and material. If the good doctor had spent half as much time actually looking for the freedom fighters as he did designing new kinds of weaponry to destroy them he would have found them long ago. Robotnik spent far too much energy on secondary activities, as far as he was concerned.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Things moved quickly at Knothole as the target date for assault on Doomsday approached. Plans and strategies were made, by Sally and the other cell leaders that came to Knothole with their assistance. The population of the camp had nearly doubled since Sally put out the call for gathering, which resulted in most of the huts being filled to capacity, with most of the new arrivals sleeping outside anyway.  
  
Now there were several groups of Mobians that came to them daily, wishing to join in the fight. Sally's office was now something of a registration office, and she would sit and take name, rank, and serial number from those coming in. It was time-consuming and annoying, since there were other things she needed to do to prepare for the battle.  
  
She finished up the paperwork on the current initiate, informing her to locate Bunnie in the training area. She was in charge of sizing up all the new recruits, to see what their strengths and weaknesses were so Sally, Lupe, and the other leaders could place them in teams accordingly. As she soon as she left Sally called in the next person in line.  
  
He was a heavy-set ram in his mid- to late-thirties, clad in a smart red muscle shirt and tan pants, a large, dangerous-looking rifle strapped to his back. He entered with confidence, standing at attention before Sally's desk. "Greetings, Princess," he said, his voice low. "My name is Ari, of the Desert Station freedom fighters."  
  
She was impressed so far. "Hello, Ari. Desert Station is far from here. What brings you to Knothole?"  
  
"I received your communication through the network shortly before the rest of my team was killed in a SWATbot raid. I have come to offer my assistance."  
  
She nodded solemnly, writing into a personnel form. There was a lot of that going around lately. Robotnik was increasing the frequency of his attacks on their bases, probably to label them as targets for Doomsday. "Glad to have you here, Ari. If you'll stop by the training field right outside, and go talk to Bunnie, please?"  
  
He nodded silently, then turned and left. She finished up his file, then put it with the others. "Next, please," she called through the door. There was a long pause, and she wondered if that was all for today. "Next please," she called again, then heard whispering voices from outside.  
  
"Why do I gotta go first?"  
  
"Because you're in front of me, dummy. The person in front goes first."  
  
"But I don't wanna go first!"  
  
"Fine, we'll go together. Baby."  
  
Sally's door creaked open and two short canine-Mobians entered. She looked them over, finding the juxtaposition truly amusing. One was dressed in camouflage pants and a white t-shirt, with a black leather jacket and a rifle slung over his shoulder; he looked around nervously as he came in, peering out from over the shades on his nose. The other, who seemed much more at ease with the situation, was in a simple t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, and had a duffel in his hand.  
  
The latter of the two approached her desk first, dropping his bag to the floor and flexing his shoulder. "Hi. This is where you register, right?"  
  
"Yes it is," Sally replied, bringing down two more forms. "Names, please?"  
  
"I'm Chip, Chip McPup. That's Cruiser over there," he gestured, and the other dog waved back.  
  
"Which freedom fighter group are you with?"  
  
He shook his head. "None. We're, ah, freelancers."  
  
"Mercenaries," Cruiser corrected.  
  
"We are *not* mercenaries, would you stop that! I told you before, mercenaries kill people for money. We don't do that, do we?"  
  
"No," he looked down at the floor.  
  
"There, you see?" Chip turned back to Sally. "Sorry. My buddy gets a little confused sometimes."  
  
She smiled. "Are you two related?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Chip slapped his forehead. "Unfortunately."  
  
Cruiser grinned stupidly. "We're cousins."  
  
"Distant cousins," Chip added emphatically. "Several, *several* times removed."  
  
Sally resisted the urge to laugh. "All right, you two. Please head outside and talk to Bunnie. She'll assess your combat proficiency."  
  
"Combat?" Cruiser shouted. "Hot dang, I'm there!"  
  
He scampered from the room, and Chip followed after letting out a heavy sigh. Sally watched them go. "Those two are freelancers?" she asked to herself. She rubbed her forehead, smiling with bemusement. It took all kinds, she supposed.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sonic sat in a chair in Rotor's lab, idly twirling a power ring on his finger. "Hey, Rote, how long is this gonna take, huh?"  
  
"Almost done, Sonic," he answered, making the final modifications to the device he was working on. "That should do it."  
  
"What's this thing supposed to do, anyway?" Sonic asked, coming over to look over the techie's shoulder.  
  
"Do you remember the fireweed plants Princess Sally found when they took the Freedom Stormer out the first time?"  
  
"The ones that could eat through metal?" Sonic replied. "Yeah, those things were nasty."  
  
Rotor nodded. "Well, I've managed to make an extract out of the plant oils and synthesize a bunch of it, and I used it to make this." He held up the device so Sonic could see. It was cylindrical, just large enough to hold.  
  
Sonic grinned. "Lemme guess: a bomb?"  
  
"You got it. I'll have to test it, of course, to make sure the potency is right, but it should easily dispatch any SWATbots or vehicles we encounter while going up against Doomsday."  
  
Sonic took the grenade and turned it over in his hands. "Rotor, you've done it again. Sal's gonna be happy to hear about these babies."  
  
He nodded. "I going to tell her about them later today, maybe after I test them a little."  
  
"How many can you make?"  
  
"I've got enough fireweed extract for about thirty. With time I can make more."  
  
Sonic's ear twitched as he became aware of a commotion outside. "Oh, now what?" he grumbled, pushing out of the chair and crossing over to the window. There were people running around outside in a panic, shouting and pointing into the forest. "Whoa, something's goin' on..."  
  
Sonic ran outside, trying to figure out what was happening. He saw Tails running by on his way to Sally's office. "Hey, Tails! What's goin' on?"  
  
"It's... Egghead," the kid answered, out of breath. "His Doomsday things are out in the clearing, blowin' up everything!"  
  
Sonic scowled. "Oh, man. Hey, Rote, gimme one of the bombs!"  
  
Rotor complied, tossing one to him. "What are you going to do?"  
  
He grabbed it in the air. "You said you needed these things tested," he ginned. "Guess I better go test 'em."  
  
Sonic took off for the forest clearing, able to see the flames and smoke as soon as he left Knothole. As he was able to see through the trees he slowed, able to make out the shape of the pod. It was saucer-shaped, about six meters in diameter and bristling with weaponry. Its midsection was constantly rotating, allowing the guns mounted there to recharge as they swiveled around and retargeted. All the trees at the edge of the clearing were scorched and burning, and the pod was advancing toward Knothole.  
  
He hid behind a stump and observed, seeing the weapon slowly hover forward, cannons razing the forest before it. With the way the guns rotated there was a constant stream of fire emerging from the pod, kicking up the earth and knocking over trees. He quickly moved from his hiding spot as the stump exploded under a volley of laser shots, hoping the pod would ignore him while he got into position.  
  
He wound up and threw Rotor's grenade. His aim was slightly off, but accurate enough. The metal casing exploded upon impact with the craft, spraying the fireweed extract in the form of a cloud that began vaporizing the exterior hull. In mere seconds the circuitry inside was also fried, and as the noxious cloud faded the pod plummeted to the ground. It bounced slightly, kicking up more soil, then finally came to rest.  
  
Sonic watched cautiously, finding it hard to believe that it had been that easy. He took a step forward into the clearing, looking at the hulk of metal sitting there smoking. "Sonic?" Tails asked quietly from behind him. "Is it dead?" Several Mobians had taken cover in the forest, close enough to see the engagement.  
  
"Yeah, it's dead," Sonic frowned. "And so are we if we don't get moving *now*."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sally immediately called an emergency meeting of all the freedom cell heads to discuss what few strategies they had come up with. Now that they had proof that Doomsday was operational, they had to drastically step up their battle plan. They assembled in the meeting hall: Sally and Sonic, Lupe and Lobo, Ari, Dirk from the South Bend cell, and Paulo, from the East Plains group. They also extended an invitation to their independent freedom fighters, Chip and Cruiser, who gratefully accepted.  
  
"We already know a straight assault won't work," Ari said, gesturing to the tactical map they had laid out on the table. "Robotnik's got SWATbots patrolling the perimeter, and the structure is heavily defended as well."  
  
"Then we're going to have to go in stealthily," Chip replied, arms crossed as he sat back in his chair.  
  
"Pff, 'stealthily...'" Cruiser cut in. "To me, that thing just looks like one big bulls-eye."  
  
"But how many agents can you hope to 'sneak' in?" Lupe offered. "Six or seven? Hardly enough to take down the entire structure."  
  
"It depends who we put on the team," Sally replied. "We already have some pretty complete blueprints, we know where all the vital areas are. We just need a way to get to them while the SWATbots are distracted."  
  
"We need a diversion or somethin'," Sonic spoke up. "Somethin' to let a team get in while Robotnik's not watching. Rotor's got those fireweed bombs, we could use those."  
  
Sally turned to the holographic schematic of Doomsday that Nicole was projecting. "The vital points are scattered throughout the base, though. We would either need a lot of time, or several teams to bring them all down."  
  
"How many troops are there inside?" Chip asked.  
  
"Rough estimate is a hundred-twenty, a third of which are always patrolling the grounds."  
  
"That's not so bad. We've got like a hundred people here, right?"  
  
Sally shook her head. "Yes, but they're not all field trained. Bunnie's still working through some of the new personnel, but so far we only have about forty, maybe fifty potential agents."  
  
"Ouch," Chip winced. "Little outnumbered."  
  
Sally's brow furrowed. "Sonic's right, though. We need a diversion to sneak someone in. If we need to, we'll do this one step at a time. Taking out the main launch area for the weapons pods will be priority one."  
  
"We gotta think like Egghead," Sonic frowned. "How would he *expect* us to come get him?"  
  
"Most of the defense guns are at ground level," Dirk observed from the holo-schematic. "An aerial attack?"  
  
"How many vehicles do we have with flight capability?"  
  
"The Stormer..." Sonic said slowly, thinking through all the vehicles they had gotten from other cell groups as they came in. "We've got another cargo pod that Kara's refitting, but I think that's it."  
  
"That should be enough, for a diversion anyway," Sally replied, her mind working. "Okay, here's what I'm thinking: We take the Stormer and the pod in here," she traced her finger along a path from Knothole to Doomsday, "and drop off a stealth team about here, a kilometer or two away from the tower, out of their radar range. Then as they distract Robotnik's forces with flyovers, the team comes in to here, and gets in, and they can fly away back to Knothole. From there it's a basic squad mission to hit the launch area."  
  
"How would the team escape?" Lupe asked.  
  
"We could possibly hijack one of the pods. It would take time, but it's not impossible." She turned to Sonic. "How many power rings to we have left?"  
  
He shrugged. "Two or three, maybe. Not enough to arm everybody."  
  
Sally nodded. "Oh. Well, still we have those. We can decide somehow how they're given out."  
  
"The best suggestion I've heard so far," Ari spoke gruffly, nodding. "Sounds good to me."  
  
"But shouldn't we have more teams?" Paulo spread his hands. "One strike team doesn't seem enough to me."  
  
"We could use two," Sally replied, "one from each craft. Or even three or four, if we time it right, and everyone's ready."  
  
She straightened. "Which just leaves us to assigning teams. Let's get going, we need to be out of here within the next three hours."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
The quiet hum of the Freedom Stormer's engine rumbled through the cockpit, the only sound to break the monotony of the flight. The passengers sat in silence, in grim reverence to the task that lay ahead. In the front Kara busied herself with looking over the flight gauges, while Grease Monkey glanced out the window nervously. On the couch in the back Cruiser was rummaging through his pockets, silently counting the ammunition clips he had.  
  
"So, what is that?" Ari asked from beside him, gesturing to the weapon. "Auto 58?"  
  
"56," Cruiser replied. "It's an older one, gets jammed sometimes. What've you got? Looks like a... 20-J, 30?"  
  
"Good eye, but it's a 35, self-upgraded," he held it up the best he could in the cramped cockpit so he could see. "I also put in a selector so it can hold two clips at a time."  
  
Cruiser nodded. "Nice, nice."  
  
Ari glanced over at Chip, who had since changed out of his casual attire and into a sleek black latex stealth suit. "What's he packing? Does he even use guns?"  
  
"He does, sometimes. He prefers not to, though. They 'make too much noise' or some silly thing."  
  
"Yeah, but what's he got?"  
  
Chip was quite tired of being referred to in the third person. "It's an AmroTek HP80 semi-automatic 7-millimeter with silenced stock. Now will you two shut up? I'm trying to plan."  
  
"Geez..." Cruiser growled. "Grouch."  
  
Chip sighed. "We're going into battle against a weapon that could wipe out all life on this hemisphere. I'd like to think through some of the specifics instead of winging it... like you always do."  
  
"You're takin' this too seriously, skippy," Cruiser replied. "You're not doing this alone, there are two other teams, too, ya know."  
  
"I know. Still, I'd like to be prepared."  
  
A short distance away from the Stormer, the cargo pod floated along the same course, the eight personnel in the back strapped down uncomfortably on makeshift seats. Sonic squirmed, trying futilely to find a position that agreed with him. "Uh... How much farther, Sal?"  
  
"Stop whining, Sonic. We're seven kilometers from the first jump point, then another one to ours. Just be patient."  
  
"Patience was never one of my strong points," the hedgehog grumbled, tapping his foot against the floor.  
  
"Simmer down, sugar-hog," Bunnie sighed from beside him on the bench. "Yer makin' *me* nervous."  
  
"Sorry," Sonic stopped his foot, then his knee started bouncing.  
  
There was a long period of silence, in which each of the occupants of the vehicle thought ahead to the coming attack. Each of them felt a little unease at the thought of going up against Robotnik's station, even Lupe with all of her combat experience. After what seemed like an eternity their pilot, Chase, called back from the cockpit. "Team Two, this is your stop! Go ahead when you're ready!"  
  
Lupe and her team checked the straps on their parachute packs, then slowly made their way to the door at the midsection of the craft. She slapped the control and the hatch slid open, a mighty rush of air from outside drowning out all sound. One by one they jumped out: Lupe, her partner Lobo, Derst, and Brainerd. Sally came behind them to shut the door, and there was suddenly silence.  
  
She looked across the room to see Sonic, anxiously glancing from side to side, his face slightly pale. She came over to him, sitting back beside him. "Nervous?"  
  
He swallowed, managing a smile. "Kinda. Never done anything like this before, ya know?"  
  
"Don't worry," she replied and patted his leg, an action he found intriguing. "It's just like any other mission: we get in, do our thing, and get out."  
  
"Yeah..." he replied slowly, still looking down to the place where she had touched him. "Right."  
  
"Team One!" Chase called to them again. "You're on!"  
  
Sally and Sonic exchanged glances once more, then Sally got up and poised herself beside the hatch controls. "Let's go."  
  
Sonic looked over at Antoine, seeing that he was just as apprehensive about this as he was. Bunnie pushed past between their gaze, heading for the door. "C'mon, boys! We ain't got all day!"  
  
Sally opened the hatch, and the air once again rushed out of the pod. Bunnie pushed herself out, with Antoine behind her. Sonic approached, glancing at Sally before jumping out himself.  
  
The hedgehog had no fear of falling -- certainly he had jumped from enough high places to know how to land properly -- but leaping from a moving aircraft was a new experience for him. He pulled the ripcord after he was sure he had cleared the pod, his 'chute opening and carrying him gently to the ground. He kept his knees bent as he hit the dirt, staggering slightly from the added weight of the pack.  
  
Sonic reached around in the dark to detach the parachute, feeling the catches snap off and his burden lighten. He looked forward and was able to see the black silhouette of Sally as she floated to the ground. He started toward her slowly, Bunnie and Antoine joining him from behind.  
  
The princess was removing her 'chute pack as they arrived. She started with the plan, and reached for her radio. "Radio test, report in all teams."  
  
Lupe's voice came through. "Team Two, all go."  
  
Chip called in for the other team. "Team Three, we're good."  
  
"Proceed with the mission plan. Observe communications silence unless it's an emergency or you reach a checkpoint."  
  
"Acknowledged."  
  
"Right."  
  
She put the radio away, replacing it with the pistol on her hip. "Everyone ready?"  
  
Soon as they were all armed -- Sonic and Antoine with their own firearms, and Bunnie with a specialized weapon Rotor had built for her earlier. Sonic nodded. "Let's do it, to it."  
  
Lupe and her Wolfpack clansmen hustled across the field from their landing site toward the tower, seeing the distant flashes from the structure's defense guns as they opened fire on the incoming aircraft. She whispered a silent prayer for the safety of the pilots, and the other freedom fighters in the assault.  
  
They rounded another hill, from the top of which she could see the SWATbots on the perimeter, most with upturned eyes to see the enemy in the air. Some who were close enough were shooting, though their probability of hitting the flying machines were slim. None seemed to be noticing them, however, which was what the diversion was designed for.  
  
Lupe triggered her radio. "Team Two, in position."  
  
Chip McPup stooped low to the ground, placing his weight on his haunches and setting his rifle in his lap. "Team Three, in position," he spoke into his radio after seeing Ari and Cruiser safely behind him.  
  
Cruiser looked up at the massive tower. "Sure is a big sucker."  
  
"Shh," Chip whispered.  
  
"Geez, what's got your stealth suit in a twist?"  
  
"We're in enemy territory, you idiot!" he hissed. "Now is the time for you to shut your pie hole!"  
  
Cruiser grumbled.  
  
"It'll be a miracle if the SWATbots don't find us because of your silly jibber-jabber."  
  
Sally's voice came from the speaker. "Team One, in position. All teams, checkpoint go."  
  
"Here we go," Chip pushed off on the balls of his feet, into a commando-style hustle forward. They were approaching from the west side of Doomsday, where there was a chance the armor around the building would be weak enough to blast through with Rotor's fireweed bombs.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"Sir, the SWATbots have detected multiple contacts en route to the machine," Snively reported in his nasal tone.  
  
"Excellent," Robotnik hissed. "Have they been engaged?"  
  
"As we speak, sir. There is a group approaching from the south currently under fire."  
  
"Have the side turrets begin sweeping the grounds. Destroy the SWATbots themselves if they get in the way! Show them the power of my station!"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Lupe slapped another clip into her combat rifle, locking it into place and leveling it for another shot at the oncoming combat bots. The rapid-fire projectiles tore through the SWATbot in the lead, ripping it to metallic shreds and dropping it to the ground. She got up from her crouch to lithely hustle to a new vantage point, forcing the robots targeting her to move as well.  
  
She struggled to keep the robots at bay while computing the current positions of the rest of her team. She spotted Lobo behind a hill to her right, on his belly and firing into the cloud of bots, sometimes blindly. Lupe sprinted over to him, diving into a somersault and coming up beside him. "Are you still okay?" she asked, positioning her rifle for a shot.  
  
"Yeah," he muttered gruffly. "Could be worse: we could be surrounded."  
  
"Concentrate on your shooting," she commanded. "Where are Brainerd and Derst?"  
  
"Don't know," he replied, snapping off another volley. "Haven't seen 'em since we split up."  
  
Lupe fired two quick bursts. "Keep an eye out."  
  
Chip saw the Wolfpack team in the midst of the firefight, and decided to quicken his pace. He was halfway from the checkpoint to the tower when the SWATbots detected him and opened fire. They missed, but he was forced into evasive action while he sought cover.  
  
Cruiser covered his back, firing his rifle into the crowd and hitting two of the bots in the chest. He continued firing as Chip doubled back to a decent cover behind the hills, then dove down beside him. "Smooth sneaking, buddy!"  
  
"Would you SHUT UP!" Chip screamed at him as he readied his rifle.  
  
Lupe was able to find Derst and Brainerd a short ways away, hiding well in the field. She stayed only long enough to give them short combat orders, then returned to her own firing position and continued fighting. Two more SWATbots fell to her aim before she was forced to move once more.  
  
She dropped to her knees to reload her weapon again, fully aware of the fact that their current passive tactics weren't working. She locked the clip into place and stood, shouting loud enough for the other three to hear, "Everyone, aggressive fighting, now!"  
  
She leapt up to the top of the hill, bringing her rifle to bear on a small cluster of four SWATbots off to her left. A short spray of fire reduced them all to nothing but scrap metal. From their cover came Brainerd and Derst, picking out their targets and snapping off quick bursts that ripped the bots to pieces.  
  
An explosion to Lupe's right caused her to look up, seeing that one of the giant cannon turrets on the wall of the building had come to life, spraying a deadly stream of laser fire in an arc across the battlefield. She shouted out and dove to the ground as the shots headed her way, tearing up the ground and slicing through the hills.  
  
Lobo saw it coming and was able to avoid it, but the other two couldn't hear her over the sounds of the battle. The turret passed over them effortlessly, cutting Brainerd down at the ankles and straight through Derst's chest, picking the wolf into the air and throwing him to the ground in a spray of blood.  
  
The SWATbots began to surround Brainerd's fallen form, and Lupe ran to where Lobo was crouching, picking off the troopers he could see. "We can't win this!" he screamed. "There's too many of them!"  
  
"Fall back!" she shouted, continuing to shoot. "We'll join with the Princess and her team. Move!"  
  
Lupe got to her feet, now seeing that the turret had already swiveled around and was retargeting. Lobo saw it, too, and scrambled to get up. The hill in front of them exploded as the blasts passed through it, spraying rock and shrapnel into Lupe's face and throwing her backwards.  
  
Ari was the first to fall from Team Three. He was much taller than the two canines, and so was the easiest target. Chip and Cruiser continued fighting, but there were too many of them to handle. The SWATbots advanced, laying down a barrage of fire that forced the two to constantly seek new positions of cover. It was while sprinting to a new hill that Cruiser was hit in the shoulder, which forced the rifle from his grip and spun him to the ground.  
  
Chip gunned down two more bots, then ran over and fell to his knees beside him. "Buddy, you okay?"  
  
"Heh, I'm good," Cruiser winced through his obvious pain. "Ya know, we always did suck at this 'saving the world' stuff..."  
  
Chip looked up as the SWATbots moved in, leveling their rifles at him as he was surrounded. He dropped his own weapon, raising his hands as he slowly stood.  
  
Sonic and the rest of his team ran like mad toward the structure, choosing to dodge the enemy fire instead of returning it. He looked up just as the Freedom Stormer passed overhead, falling under the crosshairs of a turret gunner and catching fire. It wobbled slightly in the air before falling to the ground and exploding. He realized that this battle wasn't going the way it was meant to.  
  
They rushed around the corner of the Doomsday tower, out of the range of the SWATbots, at least for now. "Sonic, the bomb!" Sally shouted.  
  
He took one of the fireweed grenades out of his pocket and hurled it at the wall. It exploded nicely, vaporizing a large section of the metal hull in a green cloud. They quickly ran in, finding themselves on a metal catwalk that ran the perimeter around the inside of the building. They jumped down, to what they hoped was a safe place to catch their breath.  
  
A door at the end of the room opened and one of Doomsday's weapons pods slowly rolled out on a conveyor. They all watched it warily, realizing that it was launching out through the bay, not coming to attack them. "This must be one of the deployment bays," Sally observed, watching as it passed. "We're in the production area."   
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"Sir, sir!" Snively called out frantically from the monitors. "They're inside the machine!"  
  
"What!" Robotnik growled. "How could they have gotten through your defenses, Snively?"  
  
He swallowed. "I don't know, sir. The SWATbots have killed or taken into custody all the freedom fighters they've seen."  
  
"Well, you *obviously* missed something, *didn't you*!"  
  
"Should I alert the internal forces to intercept?"  
  
"What do you think!" he shouted.  
  
Snively reached for the appropriate communication control, scowling when he was positive Robotnik couldn't see him. "Must I do everything around here," he grumbled, "you oversized boil?"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Lupe slowly opened her eyes, her entire being aware of the intense pain she was in. She groaned and tried to lift her head, which only made her hurt more. She had been thrown a long ways, she concluded, and her rifle lay several yards from her reach. Lobo lay close beside her, but it was obvious from his visible wounds that he was either unconscious or dead.  
  
The SWATbots must have considered her not a threat, as well, because they weren't coming to capture her, yet. Fear drove her to act, not for her own life, but for those of her comrades. With great strain she dragged herself to Lobo's fallen form, grinding her teeth against the pain of every movement. She gripped his wrist, searching for a pulse but not knowing what difference finding one would make. She found none.  
  
Lupe hung her head, but now was not the time for tears. With great effort she propped herself up on an elbow, her other hand reaching for Lobo's neck, and the pendant held there. She lifted it over his head, taking the stone in her fist, feeling its engraving on her palm. The power stone was undamaged, and now it was also safe.  
  
She passed out and slumped to the ground.  
  
"Team Two, report!" Sally was speaking urgently into her radio. "Team Three, please come in!" She exchanged glances with her teammates, fear and worry in her eyes. She repeated her hails, then slowly lowered her hand.  
  
"They're gone?" Bunnie asked, her face echoing Sally's emotions.  
  
"It looks that way..." Sally replied slowly.  
  
"So what're we gonna do, Sal?" Sonic asked.  
  
"We continue with the plan," she said resolutely, placing the radio in his pocket and rearming her pistol. "Nothing's changed."  
  
"But Sally, the plan's blown!" Sonic's hands clenched into fists. "Did you see that hell outside? I saw Kara get shot down as we were comin' in, and everyone else is gone! This is crazy!"  
  
"We can't stop now," she replied. "We've come too far to just turn back."  
  
"We cannot do this alone," Antoine said solemnly.  
  
"Okay..." Sally spoke after a moment of thought. "Let's just concentrate on shutting down this deployment area." She took Nicole and began scanning the machinery around the room. With a rumble a door at the far end opened and another of the weapons pods slid down the conveyor. Sally checked her watch. "About seven minutes since the last one," she mused, calculating in her head. "If this conveyor is connected straight to Robotnik's production center, he can make new pods every seven minutes."  
  
"That's pretty fast," Sonic stated. "Too fast. How're we gonna shut it down, Sal?"  
  
"Shutting it down is easy -- a fireweed bomb in the mechanics will put it out of commission for a while. But getting out once we're done will be the trick."  
  
"We talked about gettin' out one of the pods. Could we still do that?"  
  
"Yes, but we'd need to be quick to grab the last pod after destroying the equipment, or we'll be stuck here. There is another possibility, though: someone could stay behind to disable the machinery, after everyone else gets out."  
  
"That sounds good to me," Sonic replied and crossed his arms. "See you guys back at Knothole."  
  
Sally sighed. "Now wait a minute. How do you think you're going to get out of here, Sonic?"  
  
"I dunno, probably just beat feet. I'm faster than any of those SWATbutts out there, no prob."  
  
She thought. "Are you sure, Sonic? You don't have to do this alone."  
  
"Listen, I've made up my mind. You guys get lost, I'll handle this."  
  
The main doors to the bay slid open and nearly a dozen SWATbots marched in, scanning the room for the freedom fighters. At the other end of the room the production doors opened and another pod came in. "Look, there's your ride," Sonic pointed. "Now take off, I can do this."  
  
Almost imperceptibly Sally's lip quivered. "All right, Sonic. Good luck, and be careful." She then joined Bunnie and Antoine in a flight to the weapons pod.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"The SWATbots have breached the deployment bay doors, sir," Snively reported, reading the messages as the troopers reported in.  
  
"Excellent. Bring up a visual."  
  
The giant screen before Robotnik's control chair flickered to life, displaying a live feed from the SWATbot in command of the unit. It slowly swiveled from left to right, showing a nearly empty room and a pod rolling down the conveyor toward the doors. "Where are they all, Snively? I don't see any of them."  
  
"Um, switching to thermal view..." The screen flashed, the image's colors being replaced by almost solid red, with a bright mass where the pod was, and another small heat source near the center.  
  
"What is that, Snively? Magnify!"  
  
He silently complied, and the center expanded to cover the viewing area. Robotnik's eyes narrowed. "It's that hedgehog, Snively. The one who took those relics from me. Oh, I'll make him pay," he clenched his fist and switched on his own transmitter. "All SWATbots, open fire on the hedgehog! I want him killed immediately!"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
The SWATbot in the lead brought its weapon to bear, and Sonic was on the move a moment before he pulled the trigger. The last time he was cornered alone by Robotnik's troopers was when he was getting the Chaos Emeralds back, but then he wasn't armed. Sonic did his best to aim his pistol while evading the enemy shots, soon developing a tactic of stopping to snap off a quick shot before taking off again.  
  
He took down a large number of the bots in that way, but whittled them down to about four before they advanced to a higher level of strategy. Sonic continued his run-and-gun against the SWATbots, finding it less and less effective as they adapted to his movements, seeking cover and firing at him when he stopped to aim.  
  
When Sonic heard another weapon being fired from a far corner of the deployment bay, he turned his head to look, but couldn't recognize them from that distance, and while running like mad. Their aim was superb, however, and soon the remaining four SWATbots fell to the ground. The hedgehog ran over to greet his assistant, but he skidded to a stop when he saw who it was. "Sally?"  
  
She put her gun back in her hip holster. "Sonic, I couldn't leave. I want to help. I don't want you to do this alone."  
  
He crossed his arms and scowled. "Sal, things are gonna get pretty sticky around here in a sec, and I don't think this is the place for a princess."  
  
She returned his gaze steadily. "I'm not a princess. Today, I'm Sally Acorn of the Knothole freedom fighters, and I'm going to help disable Robotnik's Doomsday machine."  
  
Despite himself, Sonic smiled. "All right, but let's make this quick." He turned and headed for the huge double doors that all the weapons pods had been coming from for the past half hour.  
  
Beyond was a large dark corridor, with a conveyor that ran the length of it. Sonic and Sally started through it, having to duck at one point as another pod passed by. Each pod they saw could easily level any of the cell bases, and several had been sent out even during their mission. Every moment wasted was another chance for more of their comrades to fall.  
  
The hallway led to an expansive factory, with dozens of pieces of machinery linked together to create the massive weapons pods. Sonic couldn't help but stare, and marvel at the outright precision of such a device, built to create objects of destruction. Sally's voice broke into his concentration, "How many of the bombs do you have left, Sonic?"  
  
"Oh, um..." he went through his pockets, then the flaps on his knapsack. "Three. How about you?"  
  
"I only have two. We're going to have to pick some vital parts of this device, and hit them quickly."  
  
Sonic looked down as the arm of a suspended crane reached to clamp onto one of the finished pods, bringing it up and around to set it on the conveyor, and taken on to the deployment bay. "That looks like a pretty good target. Without that crane, the pods will start piling up."  
  
"I saw a good one over there, too," Sally gestured. "Let's split up. Just hit anything that looks important."  
  
Sonic nodded, then started down a catwalk that appeared to wind around all the construction machinery in the room. He quickly picked out three targets and let the grenades fly, destroying large sections of the assembly line and causing emergency lights to start flashing. When the crane was hit by the bomb, several of the tether cables were burned through, and the entire structure broke free and fell toward the ground.  
  
It headed almost straight for the catwalk that Sonic was standing on. He watched it for a second, realizing what was happening, then started to run away. He heard the metallic screech of the impact, then lost his footing as the walkway was torn away from the wall. His head hit something, and he blacked out.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"What's that rock? If you don't mind me asking."  
  
Lupe held it out so Sonic could see it. It was a small stone, carved with strange etchings that reminded him of the artifacts from Emerald Hill. "This is a deep power stone," she replied slowly. "My father gave me this, long ago."  
  
"What's it for?"  
  
"The power stones are artifacts of the Ancient Peoples. In times of great need, the deep power stones can be used to unlock forces beyond any the world has known."  
  
Sonic's eyes widened. "Wow, that's really something. You're gonna use these suckers against Robotnik?"  
  
Lupe nodded. "They can be used only once, so we're waiting for the right moment. Should the need arise, use the stones and unlock the power within."  
  
He looked into her sparkling eyes. "When will the right moment be?"  
  
She smiled, almost mischievously. "You will know."  
  
"Sonic! Sonic, can you hear me?"  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"Please wake up, Sonic! Wake up!"  
  
The hedgehog's eyes snapped open, and he looked to see Sally standing over him. "Whoa. What happened?"  
  
She helped him up. "You took a tumble when that crane fell. Are you all right?"  
  
"I think so," he groaned, aware of blood coming from his forehead.  
  
"Come here," she stooped down to open her pack. "I can clean that up."  
  
"No, no time, Sal," he said quickly. "I know how we can take this place out!"  
  
"What?" she asked. "How?"  
  
"Lupe's got these stone thingies, deep power stones. If I understand her right, if we use those we could blow this whole place to kingdom come, probably."  
  
"Lupe told me about those, too," she concentrated. "But she has them, and we don't know what happened to her."  
  
"Well, she wasn't answering the radio. She's been killed or captured, and either way the SWATbots have her now, right?"  
  
She nodded. "Right. So we have to find out where they are now." She flipped Nicole open. "Nicole, please bring up the Doomsday schematic."  
  
|Opening, Sally...|  
  
A holographic map wavered to life, and Sonic moved closer to her to look at it. "We have no idea where they would take captives. Our recon was never that complete."  
  
"Well, we have to figure it out, before Egghead ships 'em out to get roboticized..."  
  
"Nicole, can you hack through to Robotnik's spy satellites?"  
  
|Attempting security hack, Sally...| It was several moments before the computer emitted a positive tone. |Hack successful.|  
  
"Switch to thermal view and scan Doomsday for heat signals."  
  
|Scanning...|  
  
Amid the clouds of machinery the building possessed, four red dots appeared on the map, in a room on the south edge of the tower. "That's a storage area, I think."  
  
"Only four left?" Sonic said slowly. "Four out of eleven."  
  
"Let's make sure it stays four," Sally put Nicole away. "Let's go."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Robotnik gave a growling sigh, rubbing his forehead with his mechanical hand. "You lost them again, didn't you, Snively?"  
  
"S-sir, I can explain! The SWATbots-"  
  
"Spare me your excuses!" he bellowed. "I'll deal with the accursed little beasts myself!" he lifted himself from his chair and started for the door. "Where are they?"  
  
Snively stammered. "Apparently heading for the prisoner holding area, sir. And, sir, there is another freedom fighters with the hedgehog."  
  
"So there's two of them. I can handle two little rodents, Snively." Without waiting for a reply he exited, the doors sliding shut behind him.  
  
The little man scowled. "Of course you can, sir."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Six. He counted again. Still six.  
  
Chip sighed and let his head drop against the wall. If he had his gun he may be able to take six SWATbots, but unarmed there was no chance. He looked around, seeing that apparently he was the only conscious one in the room. Cruiser was off to his left, and Lupe and Brainerd had been dragged quite unceremoniously and left in a corner. Their fallen comrades were on the opposite side of the room, thrown into a pile with all of their weaponry.  
  
*So what now?* he wondered to himself, already knowing the answer before he finished the thought. They would all be taken away to the roboticizor, and made into mindless drones for Robotnik. But what was the hold up? He had been in here for a good hour or two -- they took his watch, so he couldn't be exactly sure -- and still nothing. Maybe Team One was still posing a threat?  
  
That made him smile, despite it all. *At least some of us can still put up a fight.*  
  
A glint of light in the darkened corners of the room attracted his attention, then one of the SWATbots' heads exploded. Another shot, another hit, and another robot hit the ground. The other four swiveled their heads, scanning the room to find the source of the trouble, but in a matter of seconds they were out of commission as well.  
  
Chip's danger sense was on full alert, until he saw Sonic and Princess Sally running over to the prisoners. "Man, I'm glad to see you," he said as Sally set to undoing his binders. "What's going on out there?"  
  
"It's not good," Sally replied. "We sent the rest of our team home. We're taking Doomsday down ourselves."  
  
"Huh?" he raised his eyebrows. "How?"  
  
Sonic crouched down beside Lupe, gently shaking her shoulder. "Lupe? Lupe..."  
  
She groaned and her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him. "Sonic?"  
  
"It's time."  
  
She nodded understandingly, then reached into her jacket to bring out the two deep power stones. She gave them to Sonic, pressing them into his hand. "Be careful... Sonic," she managed before dropping from consciousness again.  
  
"Chip, you need to get everyone out of here and back to Knothole."  
  
He had already crossed the room and retrieved his rifle from the pile. "Okay, how?"  
  
Sally looked around, barely noticing an old cargo hauler in a dark corner of the bay. "Can you hot-wire that?"  
  
He shrugged. "Sure, probably."  
  
It didn't take the three of them long to finish bringing bodies to the truck, both the dead and the barely living. They turned their attention to the matter at hand, knowing it wouldn't be long before the Robotnik realized his prisoners were missing. "So how do these things work, Sal?"  
  
"I'm not sure," she answered, running her thumb along the carved grooves in one side. "They fit together, I know, but which way?"  
  
"Well, let's just try something. What's the worst that could happen?"  
  
"If released inappropriately, the power could create an explosion that could wipe out more than just Doomsday."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"The planet."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Sally brought out her computer. "Nicole, analyze."  
  
|Scanning, Sally... The carvings on the face of the stone are part of an ancient language used by the old inhabitants of Mobius. Energy detected is similar to that of the Chaos Emeralds, but magnified approximately sixty times.|  
  
"A language?" Sonic echoed. "What's it say, Nicole?"  
  
|Attempting to translate... Language is written only, and cannot be spoken. Display translation.|  
  
Sally looked over the screen. "This looks pretty cryptic, but I think I know-"  
  
It was then that they heard a familiar voice bellowing through the darkness. "Well, well, hedgehog. We meet again."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "How ya doin', Ro-buttnik?"  
  
"I demand you show me the respect I deserve, hedgehog!" the man clenched his fist. "It's the least you could do, since soon you will be dead, and I will wipe out your pathetic rebellion."  
  
Sonic feigned a yawn. "Yeah, okay. Look, Ro-buttnik, we're kinda busy right now. Could ya come back later?"  
  
Robotnik gave an almost feral growl. "SWATbots, kill them both! I want them dead now!"  
  
The robots quickly moved closer into a firing position, rifles ready. Sonic looked at Sally. "Ready?"  
  
She smiled. "Let's do it, to it."  
  
Their hands met, and the power stones clicked together. An incredible energy flooded over them both, and Sally closed her eyes, gasping. It was like the New Years' glow, only much stronger, almost intoxicatingly pleasing. She felt like she was floating, and slowly opened her eyes to find that she was indeed two meters off the ground, hovering in a cloud of pure energy.  
  
"Wow..." she breathed. "That was amazing."  
  
Sonic slowly opened his eyes as well, slightly disoriented from being in the air. "This is different."  
  
Sally now turned her head to look at him, and laughed out loud. "Your hair!" she pointed. "It's bright gold!"  
  
"My hair?" Sonic replied. "Yours is the same way!"  
  
She reached up to feel her head, and felt her hair slowly waving back and forth, like she was underwater. Even her body fur had slightly changed, to shine with the energy now in her.  
  
Almost suddenly, they remembered that they were surrounded by SWATbots. But there was no danger now. They looked at one of the bots, and the small projectile coming out of his rifle, advancing toward them at a rate of only two meters a minute. Sally looked at it quizzically, with a child-like curiosity, stepping out of its path and circling around, monitoring it from all directions.  
  
"Come on, Sally," Sonic shouted. "We've got work to do, remember?"  
  
"Right," she answered, distractedly. This was sure something she had never experienced before.  
  
"Okay, which way do we GOOO!" Sonic started running, and found himself abruptly on the opposite side of the room. He skidded to a sharp halt, then caught his breath. "That was awesome!"  
  
"Whatever these power stones do," Sally observed. "It seems to reduce the effects of gravity and friction of your body."  
  
"So I can run even faster? Sweet!"  
  
"I'm not sure how long the effects will last, though, so we should get moving. I think I remember where all of the vital areas of the building are, follow me."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Chip looked out his rearview mirror as the explosions started ripping through the Doomsday tower. He smiled, not knowing what the heck they did, but glad to have it done. He continued driving toward Knothole, his primary concern now was to get the rest of his friends to safety.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"Where did they go!" Robotnik screamed.  
  
He had ordered his SWATbots to open fire, then there was a flash of light and they had both vanished. He growled as he turned back to the corridor, stepping over the ruined husk of three SWATbots that had been destroyed by the furry little terrorists.  
  
Another explosion sounded from the levels above him, and he knew that his wonderful machine was being destroyed. He started running faster. Time was of the essence now. He had to get to his escape vehicle before the structure came down around him.  
  
He reached the shuttle and keyed in his access code. The hatch slid open, and he stepped one foot into the pod.  
  
"Sir! Sir!" Snively came running up to him from the hallway. "They've taken the control room. Wait for me!"  
  
"Sorry, Snively," Robotnik calmly replied as he shoved the smaller man to the ground with his metallic hand. "Only room for one on this flight."  
  
The small man looked up in time to see the shuttle starting its engines. He backed away, anger and hatred rising in his heart. "You don't give me enough credit... Julian."  
  
He had virtually created this super weapon by himself. Robotnik may have drawn up the plans, but once he had them, they were his to carry out, even after modification. He had his own escape plan laid out, in the very possible event that Robotnik would double-cross him.  
  
Snively went back to the hallway, turning back to see another explosion tear through the floor of the docking bay, buckling under the weight of the craft and dragging it down through the building. He smiled sadistically. "Now you get what you deserve," he whispered to Robotnik as his shuttle disappeared into the maw.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sonic and Sally flew through the hallways of the doomed Doomsday station, watching with euphoric glee as piece after wretched piece of machinery was destroyed. Sally couldn't help but laugh as they ran around. She felt invincible as the whole building crumbled around them, and finally understood how Sonic felt so many times, like there was nothing in the world that could harm her.  
  
"That should do it!" she called out to Sonic, who was still slightly faster than she was. "Let's go!"  
  
They had triggered the power core for a complete meltdown, and the timer gave them twenty seconds to get out. After calculating the time difference because of the power stones, however, Sally figured they had substantially longer than that. They continued smashing every computer and power panel they saw, unable to use their pistols, but feeling no pain as they punched their fists through glass screens and metal casings. Now it was more for fun than anything else; Sally wished she could have this feeling of power forever.  
  
And then, almost too quickly, it began to fade. She found herself dragging lower to the ground, and gradually slowing. Her feet touched the ground, and she looked around anxiously, feeling naked with the energy no longer coursing through her. Sonic slowed to a stop as well, his hair settling back to his everyday spikes and reverting to its blue color.  
  
"Oh, well," he sighed. "Easy come, easy go."  
  
Another explosion sounded, and Sally was stricken with fear. "Sonic, the reactor!"  
  
An explosion split through the wall right beside her, and she ran forward, finding her original speed uncomfortably slow. They were surrounded by fire on all sides, inside a machine that would soon collapse. Sally held Sonic close. "I'm sorry," she whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry for bringing you here to die."  
  
"Hey," he looked into her eyes, which still seemed to sparkle. "We took Robotnik down. That counts for something, doesn't it?"  
  
"I love you, Sonic."  
  
He blinked. "I... love you, too. Sally."  
  
A final ball of fire, and all means of possible escape were cut off. They stood there, in each other's arms, awaiting the inevitable. There was a tiny amount of fear in Sonic's heart, but there was joy, too. Now their friends wouldn't have to worry about Robotnik anymore, and could finally be free. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears beneath the lids. He hugged Sally tighter, trying to drown out the sounds of explosions and chaos around him.  
  
When he felt a hand on his shoulder, it took him a moment to realize that it wasn't Sally's. His eyes slowly opened, and he was face to face with someone who looked like a dark reflection of himself. An obsidian hedgehog with red piercing eyes smiled at him. "Don't fear, Sonic. You helped me, now it's my turn to help you."  
  
The shadow took a step back, his hand reaching out toward Sonic and Sally, still held in embrace. A glow emanated from his palm, as his eyes rolled up in their sockets in concentration. Sonic felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside, and almost screamed against the pain.  
  
When he opened his eyes he was lying on the ground, on a hill several kilometers away from Doomsday. He reached over to nudge Sally, who had apparently fallen beside him. "Sonic?" she spoke quietly. "What happened?"  
  
With a flash that lit up the sky, Doomsday exploded in a brilliant ball of fire. Sonic and Sally watched it with widened eyes, as if it was their own private fireworks show. When the fire at last dissipated, no sign was left of the super weapon, or of Doctor Ivo Robotnik.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
The chant rang out from Knothole, from all the freedom fighters who had witnessed the massive explosion in the sky. "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"  
  
Robotnik was gone, and with him all the oppression the Mobians had suffered over the past decade. "Freedom!"  
  
Now they could return to their lives, out from under the thumb of a vile dictator. "Freedom!"  
  
Those who survived the assault were commended for their bravery by Princess Sally, at an impromptu celebration that night. Everyone was overjoyed that the war was finally over, and it showed on everyone's faces as they talked and laughed with everyone they saw.  
  
"It's too bad Robotnik's gone," Sonic said to Sally as soon as they found each other in the crowd.  
  
"Too bad?" she replied incredulously. "Why is it too bad?"  
  
"Well, it kinda puts the freedom fighters out of a job. What are heroes supposed to do without a villain around?"  
  
Her hand found his and she smiled. "You'll always be my hero, Sonic."  
  
He returned the smile, then slowly leaned closer to kiss her full on the lips. She wrapped her arms around him, both of them aware and uncaring of all the stares from the people around them. For the first time they could remember, both of them were truly happy.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
The sadistic cackle echoed through the tunnels as the little man crawled his way to freedom. "That stupid fool!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "That big round idiot finally let himself be destroyed! Haa ha ha!!"  
  
He swung the access hatch aside and climbed out, finding himself kilometers away from the ruins of the Doomsday tower. "Now it's my turn for a little fun, and I'm not going to screw it up like that pompous moron! Oh, yes. Things are going to be different from here... on... out."  
  
**END OF CHAPTER**  
  
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Special Holiday Special... kinda.  
  
This chapter is late. This chapter is also twice the normal length. I hope the latter makes up for the former, and no one will be made. Thank you.  
  
Also, I expect a lot of feedback from this one, for obvious reasons. Send it in, and let me know what you think of these... new developments, hee.  
  
Merry (delayed) Christmas and a Happy New Year!  
  
-AE  
  
(Oh, something else! I'll be putting FFoM concept art on my DeviantArt account, so if you have stuff on there, give me some feedback on that, too! //LuxInvictus.DeviantArt.com//) 


	11. 3238, Day 017 : Phoenix

01 /xx /04  
  
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux  
  
By Antipode Echidna  
  
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com  
  
Mobian Time: Year 3238, Day 017  
  
Episode: Phoenix  
  
Story (c) 2004 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by copyright laws that r00r your b00rz!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood / David Pistone, without permission.  
  
Bunnie sat quietly as she awaited the results. She had been sitting in the medical hut for about two hours, and was starting to get anxious. Bookshire and Rotor were somewhere in the back room, looking over the data they had just gotten from her. She sighed and sat back, glancing down at her left arm. She smiled. Soon, she would be...  
  
It had been three months since the destruction of Doomsday and the end of the war. Cleanup was being planned by Sally and the other leaders currently residing in camp. The general attitude of everyone was one of relief, and you could see it on the face of anyone you took a moment to talk to.  
  
It was during this time that Bunnie had a realization: Robotnik may have been gone, but his actions were still influencing the Mobians' way of life, most certainly her own. She had discussed long and hard with Sally and Antoine, her closest friends, and had decided that she had put up with her augmentations long enough. It was time to look into deroboticization, and getting her old body back. Soon, she would be whole.  
  
She had went to talk with Bookshire and Rotor, and the doctor had suggested an in-depth physical to check on the status of her implants. He would compare them with the medical records of the many who had already been deroboticized, and see if it was a safe option to take. They had been in the back room for a while now, and she started to wonder what was going on.  
  
"Hey, guys!" she called out to them. "Yer still back there, right?"  
  
"Yes, Bunnie, we're here," Bookshire answered distractedly, coming back to the main area of the hut. "We've found something... disturbing."  
  
She immediately picked up on the tone in his voice. "What 'disturbing?' What'd ya find?"  
  
Rotor took a deep breath. "We detected some signals, electrical signals, being sent when were doing the scan. It first I thought it was nothing, maybe something from your mechanics. I checked, though, and... I found a transmitter."  
  
"A transmitter? What the hoo-ha you talkin' about, Rotor?"  
  
Bookshire stepped in. "It's a transmission module, connected to both your visual and auditory implants. And it's been constantly sending data to somewhere in Robotropolis."  
  
Bunnie's right eye blinked. "What're ya sayin', doc?"  
  
"We're not sure -- yet -- but somehow Robotnik has been using you as... a kind of double agent against Knothole."  
  
She raised her eyebrows. "What?"  
  
Rotor tried to explain. "Do you remember, about two years ago, when your nanobots restarted and began constructing more mechanics into your system?"  
  
"Yeah. So what?"  
  
"Robotnik did that with a kind of electrical pulse. It not only awakened the bots, but slightly altered their programming a little. One of those changes was to be his eyes and ears in the resistance."  
  
Bunnie sighed. This was a lot to take in. "But Robotnik's gone now, right? And you can take this thing out of me?"  
  
Bookshire nodded. "Yes, we can take it out, but this is technically a security breach. We'll have to tell Sally before going ahead with the procedure."  
  
She shrugged. "Fine with me. Just hurry, guys, okay?"  
  
"All right," the doctor replied. "Rotor, that will be all. Please tell Sally that I'd like to see her when she has a chance."  
  
"Um, sure," Rotor answered and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Somethin' else ya wanna talk about, doc?" Bunnie asked slowly, almost apprehensively.  
  
"Yes, there is," he answered solemnly, bringing over a chair and easing himself into it. "It's about your implants, something I found while looking over the data. Rotor doesn't know about this, no one does. I thought it right if you were told first."  
  
"What is it?" Now she was getting worried. Bookshire usually didn't talk like this to her.  
  
"Another thing Robotnik's signal did was to... harden the control your implants had in your body. Even if the deroboticization works, there is a chance you could have some damage to your body."  
  
She swallowed. "What kinda damage? Is it permanent?"  
  
"Probably not, but it will take time to heal. You may walk with a limp, or not be able to use your arm for some time, but I'm not worried about that, I'm sure that's temporary. I'm mostly concerned with the implants around your neck and face."  
  
He sighed. "Again, I'm not sure about this, because it's never been seen before, at least not by me. If the mechanical-biological conversion goes as planned, your left eye and ear may need extra care, perhaps even surgery, to reach an acceptable level of performance," he paused before adding, "And may never work the way they're meant to."  
  
She tried nodding, but couldn't move. "So, what yer sayin' is that... I may never get my old bod back again?"  
  
"I'm saying it's a possibility. But, believe me, Bunnie, when I say that I will do everything in my power to make sure it goes all right."  
  
Bunnie was too deep in thought to respond. Even after all this work, she would never be the way she was meant to be. She tried to fight the lump rising in her throat as she spoke. "How long would I hafta, ya know, recover from this?"  
  
"Hard to say," he shook his head. "Maybe two weeks, maybe a month or longer."  
  
"And there's no other way to do it?"  
  
He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Tails peered out from under the lip of his hat, leaning as far over the edge of the boat as he could without falling into the lake. Through the surface of the crystal clear water he could see the small fish darting back and forth, but none of them were going the way he wanted them to.  
  
"C'mon..." he whispered. "Stupid fish."  
  
"How you doin', buddy?" Sonic asked from beside him. "Any luck yet?"  
  
"No," he pouted. "Stupid fish won't cooperate."  
  
"Don't worry, son, you'll get it," Uncle Chuck called from over his shoulder. "Fishing is for the patient. Just give it time."  
  
Tails looked up to the front of the boat, where Uncle Chuck sat with his line over the side. "But it's so boring," he whined.  
  
"Yeah, I'm gettin' bored, too, Unc," Sonic said. "We've been out here for hours already, and nuthin."  
  
"Oh, you two are so alike, it's frightening," the old man chuckled. "If you want to go back, you're welcome to swim."  
  
He gestured, and the two looked at the water surrounding them on all sides. Sonic and Tails exchanged glances, then shrugged and returned to watching their lures.  
  
Sonic cast a sideways glance at Tails, amused at the kid's silly, bucket-shaped fisherman's hat perched atop his head. They had celebrated his tenth birthday about a week after the assault on Doomsday, and Sonic and his uncle had been spending more time with him lately, an effort by Uncle Chuck to help him to look past the constant death and sadness that had been a part of his life since the war had started. It seemed to be working, too, since even though the fish didn't seem to like him much, he had blast hanging out with Sonic.  
  
The hedgehog returned to watching his pole, looking out over the sparkling lake. *Who would have thought six months ago that I'd be fishing with my long-lost uncle, without a care in the world?* So much had changed for him in the past few months, now that Robotnik was gone. Life seemed... simpler somehow. He didn't have to act like a freedom fighter all the time now, and he could just concentrate on being himself. It made him feel better knowing that they had gotten through this whole long war, albeit not unscathed.  
  
Sally was doing her best on the plans for the cleanup effort, with the help of Lupe and the other cell leaders. It was going along well, at least as far as he thought. Sally had pretty much poured her heart and soul into Knothole for the past ten years, and now she was getting ready to move on, to take her place on the throne like she was meant to do.  
  
Sonic sighed contentedly. Sally was definitely something else. They had spent New Years' together after destroying Doomsday, and not the usually way where Sonic had some terrible thing he'd try to do to her when she wasn't watching. Now he actually cared for her, as strange as it seemed at first. Sonic had always respected her, as the leader of their small band, and the brains of their operation, but since she had found her father in Robotropolis, she showed him a more personal side he had never seen before. And the more time they spent together, the more he found that he... loved her.  
  
He chuckled and shook his head. He still found it hard to say, but it was true. He loved Sally, and Sally loved him back. It was strange, but now he felt so alive whenever she was around. Sonic saw her in a different light than so many times before.  
  
"Oh! Ah, Sonic!"  
  
"What is it, T2?"  
  
Tails was wrestling with his fishing pole. "I think I got something!"  
  
Sonic propped up his own pole and shifted over to help him. "Don't let him get away!" Uncle Chuck shouted.  
  
He wrapped both hands around Tails' fishing pole and pulled, even with their combined strength there was still strong resistance on the other end. "Holy Mobius, this thing is huge!" Sonic ground his teeth. "Get the net, Unc!"  
  
Chuck picked the net off the floor of the boat, trying to reach over to help them without tipping them all overboard. "Pull harder, boys!"  
  
"We're tryin'!"  
  
Sonic braced his feet against the side and gave one large jerk, and the end of the line breached the surface of the water. Tails' eyes widened as he saw what was hanging there. "Wow, look at him!"  
  
Uncle Chuck laughed as he moved the net into position. "Great job, Tails! That's a whopper!"  
  
The two of them eased the giant fish into the boat, careful not to knock each other over and into the lake.  
  
"Wow, look at him, Sonic! Look at him!"  
  
"That's great, Tails!" Sonic lauded, himself impressed by the kid's feat.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Rotor politely cleared his throat, waiting for Princess Sally to call him into her office. She did, and he came forward, telling her that Bookshire wanted to see her as soon as possible. Sally thanked him, then finished up what she was doing and headed for the medical hut.  
  
She found Bunnie and Bookshire sitting quietly, both turned their heads as she entered. Sally saw a distressed look on her friend's face, and immediately felt concern. "Bunnie, what's wrong?"  
  
"We've got problems, Sally-girl," she replied, her voice weak as if she were trying to keep her emotions in check.  
  
"Bookshire?" she asked as she found a chair. "What's going on?"  
  
The doctor recounted to her everything he had told Bunnie earlier. Sally listened carefully to every word, and when he finished she wore a look of genuine compassion. "Bunnie, what do you think about this?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't know, Sally. I'm just... scared, that's all."  
  
Sally put a hand on her shoulder. "I know, Bunnie. Let's just think through this. Bookshire, is there any way we could shut down the transmitter?"  
  
"That would take surgery, too," he replied softly. "And I won't lie to you: it would be close to brain surgery, and the risk would be extremely high."  
  
"So, either way, I'm riskin' my life," Bunnie whispered.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Sally waited a moment before speaking. "Bunnie, the transmitter is a security issue, but Robotnik is gone. I care more for your health than anything else. This will be purely your decision."  
  
She stared down at the floor, working through the options. "There is something else you could consider, Bunnie," Bookshire said. "You could always keep your cybernetics. They aren't harming your internal systems at all, and living with them as you have been is... safer, you could say, then attempting to have them removed."  
  
Bunnie frowned. She had been pondering that, but didn't see it as any better an option. She almost voiced her outright opposition immediately, but stopped to think about it for a moment. Bookshire had a point, it would be safer. On the other hand, she had been plagued by her robotic mods for years now, and had been looking forward to getting rid of them every day.  
  
"Could I have... some time to think about it?" she asked, her voice cracking.  
  
"Of course," he nodded, rising from his chair. "Take as long as you need."  
  
Bunnie's head drooped as the doctor retired to the back room. Sally gently rubbed her friend's shoulder. "Hey... we're going to get through this, all right?"  
  
"It's hard, Sally-girl. Why does it have to be so damn hard?"  
  
She began to weep, and the princess pulled her close, giving her a shoulder to cry on. Bunnie's body shook gently, and Sally whispered gently into her ear. "It's going to be okay, Bunnie. It'll be okay."  
  
"Oh, Sally-girl..." she sniffed softly. "You've been great to me through all this. You're like the best big sister a body could have."  
  
"You've been my best friend forever. It's my job to look after friends."  
  
Bunnie pulled back and dried her eye. "What would you do... if you were me?"  
  
Sally sighed. "I've seen how this thing has tortured you, Bunnie. I also know how strong you can be through adversity; you've shown that to everyone over the years. I think, if you choose to go through with this, you can beat it easily. And we'll all be there to help you, too."  
  
She managed a smile. "Thanks, Sally. Bookshire?"  
  
Despite his efforts to mind his own business, the doctor had been listening intently to their conversation. "Yes?"  
  
"Call Rotor. Tell him to warm up the deroboticizor."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"No, NO *NO*!!" the little man screamed and smashed his fist against the console. "Why won't any of this blasted machinery work!"  
  
Colin Robotnik sat back in the control chair, seething. The chair was huge, due to the mass of its previous occupant, and almost consumed him, but he would get used to it, he supposed. He was too engrossed by his current obstacle to pay that much attention to it at the moment, anyway. Darn that Robotnik and his infernal paranoia! He had locked up his control codes as tight as he possibly could, and even Colin was having trouble getting at them.  
  
He leaned forward to try another key combination, and the computer slapped his wrist again. Colin's hands balled into fists, and he screamed at the empty room. "You idiot!" he spat at the ceiling, hoping somehow his curse would reach the dead man's ears. "You knew this would happen, didn't you? You gave me just enough information to make me *think* I could do this but, oh, you made sure that I couldn't. Yes, you made sure of that..."  
  
His voice trailed off, and he forced himself to breathe. This wasn't impossible. Nothing was impossible, just difficult. He had come this far, and he'd be damned if he didn't finish the job, quite literally. He attacked the console once more, fingers flying as he attempted to crack Robotnik's ridiculous security. A grin and beads of sweat slowly spread over his face, as he moved faster than the computer could lock him out.  
  
"Yes!" he threw his hands up as a list of command codes were printed to the screen. "You can't keep me out! Never!"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sally returned to her office, more than willing to have stayed with Bunnie through the entire operation, but unable to put off the work that needed to be done. She found it hard to concentrate, though, her mind constantly wandering back to her friend lying on the table, undergoing a procedure that would drastically change her life... again.  
  
Sonic came in, his heavy boots tromping on the floor as he went over and collapsed in a chair. "Heya, Sally."  
  
She looked up at him, smiling at the exhausted look on his face. "The fishing trip went well, I see."  
  
"Remind me never to do that again..." he groaned. "What did I miss while I was gone?"  
  
"Bunnie's going to do it."  
  
Sonic nodded. "Good girl. How is she?"  
  
"Worried. Bookshire says it might not go the way it should, and there may be problems."  
  
"Oh. Too bad. Is she in there now?"  
  
"Rotor started about ten minutes ago," Sally sighed, then forced herself to smile. "So, how was fishing with Uncle Chuck?"  
  
"Pretty good. Tails caught something about as big as his head. He'll probably show it to you as soon as he finishes helping Unc put all the stuff away."  
  
"That's great," she replied, then her smile faded.  
  
"Hey, what's up?"  
  
"I've got a lot to think about, Sonic," she sighed, dropping her head to her desk.  
  
He reached over to take one of hands. "Thing's haven't gotten any easier since taking out Egghead, huh?"  
  
"Not really," she answered, her voice muffled from speaking into her desktop. She looked up just enough that she could see Sonic over her arms. "There's so much work left to do. Sometimes... I don't know."  
  
Sonic nodded. "Sometimes cleaning up after the war is just as tough as the war itself?"  
  
Sally smirked. "That's very insightful, Sonic."  
  
"Eh, must be pickin' up some stuff from you."  
  
She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
"Aunt Sally, Aunt Sally!"  
  
They both looked up as Tails came in. He stopped short in the doorway. "You two aren't bein' mushy again, are ya?"  
  
"No, Tails," Sally answered, lifting her head as Sonic sat back down. "What can I do for you?"  
  
Tails looked from Sonic to Sally, then shrugged and jumped into the room. "I caught a great big fish!"  
  
"You did?" Sally smiled and glanced at Sonic. "How did you do it? Did it put up a fight?"  
  
"Yeah, but me n' Sonic took him down, no problem."  
  
"How wonderful. Where is it now?"  
  
"I think Uncle Chuck's cleaning him in the kitchen. We're gonna eat him for supper, he said."  
  
"It's been a long time since we've had a decent fish fry," Sally commented. "The change will certainly be welcome."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go help him. See ya!" Tails waved and left the office.  
  
"Bye, Tails," Sonic called after him. He waited for a moment, then turned back to Sally. "So how's the cleanup plan going, anyway?"  
  
"It's getting there," she said slowly, reflexively straightening the papers on her desk. "I was thinking about taking a team back to Robotropolis again, to make more estimations. But that was before Bunnie decided..." her voice trailed off, but Sonic got it.  
  
"I could take a team, if you don't wanna go, Sal."  
  
She shook her head. "I wouldn't ask you to do that, Sonic. You've done enough for me already," she squeezed his hand again. "I'll just continue this when I'm ready."  
  
Sonic inhaled and smiled. "Sally, you're procrastinating. Now you're picking up some of *my* bad habits."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Bunnie laid silently on the platform, the constant him of energy almost soothing around her. It was a lot less painful than she thought it would be. She hardly felt a thing, though she wondered if that was from the actual procedure, or from her brain refusing to register pain anymore.  
  
She realized she was being cynical and silently told herself to shut up. Why don't you take a rest for once in your life, girl, she asked herself in her mind. Everything's going fine.  
  
But she knew why not. She was afraid to close her eyes, that she might never open them again. She had to stay alive, and to do that she had to stay awake, too.  
  
Or was she worrying too much? Rotor was standing about three meters away, manning the controls to make sure nothing went wrong. He was there to have everything under control, to make sure this went as smoothly as possible.  
  
Still, she didn't feel that was enough. She had to do something herself to make this work. That was how she fought these implants for over the years: on her own, by her strength.  
  
But then, there was Antoine. He had certainly done all he could to help her in her moments of emotional turbulence. And Sally, too, poured her heart out to her, giving her a big sister to talk too when things got rough.  
  
Maybe she wasn't strong enough to do this on her own. She needed her friends as much as they needed her. Their combined emotional strength was what got her through so far, and it would be what brought her out of it, on the road to recovery. She smiled as she slowly faded to sleep. For that she was grateful.  
  
Very grateful.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Robotropolis seemed absolutely no different than before. Sonic found that kind of strange, that the place still carried its air of foreboding, even though there was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Just give it time, he kept telling himself, and things will start looking up again.  
  
To his right, Antoine shivered. "Place is still creepy, eh Ant?"  
  
"No, I'm just chilly," the coyote shot him a glance. "It was a breeze."  
  
"Right, right. How you feelin', little bro?"  
  
"I'm okay," Tails answered distractedly, looking around him at the buildings rising on both sides. It didn't take as much haggling with Sally to let him bring Tails along this time; since Robotnik was gone the city was basically a giant dead husk.  
  
"And I don't want any complaints outta you, either," he said sarcastically to the fourth member of their team.  
  
Lupe grinned back. "Amusing, Sonic." He respected Sally's decision to stay with Bunnie, but Sonic still wanted to find a fourth man, so he asked the former Wolfpack leader to come along. She had been spending the last few weeks recovering from her battle injuries, and the hedgehog could see straight through her calm shell and tell she wanted some action. Now she had a couple brothers and sisters for her old facial scar, but he thought she still looked striking.  
  
"So where're we going first?" Tails asked.  
  
"I dunno. Sal just asked us to look around at stuff. Maybe we should go up to the Tower, and check out the stuff around there. Sound good?"  
  
No one had any objections, so he led the group toward the center of the city. There was the Imperial Tower in all its splendor, though a large portion of it had faded over the years. It was great looking at it without worrying about SWATbots anymore, and Sonic looked up and stared, thinking about what it would be like after they had retaken the city.  
  
"So where do we go next?" Antoine spoke up.  
  
Sonic shrugged. "I have no idea. Anybody else have some suggestions?"  
  
Tails looked around. "Let's look in... that building."  
  
"Why that one? What is it?"  
  
Tails looked at him. "I don't know. But you don't, either, so we should check it out, right?"  
  
"Okay by me. Let's go."  
  
The four of them crossed the street and approached the building, a mid-sized warehouse that looked no different from those around it. Sonic entered first, through a large sliding door that was open at the moment. It was some kind of shipping garage, but hadn't been used for a long time, probably since before the war. There was no sign of Robotnik's mechanical tampering around, it was as if he had simply ignored the place, for some reason.  
  
The four of them looked around, realizing in only a few moments that there was nothing to see. "Oh, well," Sonic shrugged as they went back to the street. "Next one, I guess."  
  
They turned the corner at an intersection, but Sonic abruptly stopped, whispering to the others. "Check it out..." There was a squad of six SWATbots at the end of the street, marching slowly toward them. "What's the deal?"  
  
"Are they running automatically?" Lupe suggested. "Continuing with their programming?"  
  
"I sure hope so," Sonic replied grimly. "You guys stay here, I'll go ask them."  
  
He started toward them, slowly, stepping just inside where he knew their perception range to be. In only two seconds one of them turned to face him. |Identify yourself.|  
  
"Who do you think it is, butt-head?"  
  
|Voiceprint confirmed: freedom fighter -- initiating capture.|  
  
"Smart boy," Sonic smirked as he ran back to the rest of the team. "I don't know if they're on autopilot, but they still want us dead."  
  
"Are we gonna take 'em out, Sonic?"  
  
"Sure thing, little bro! Just like that fish we took down this morning, right? We're gonna-"  
  
Lupe cleared her throat and gave Sonic a look or caution. He faltered. "I mean... we can take care of 'em, but you have to stay here and watch, 'kay, buddy?"  
  
"Aw!" Tails whined. "How come?"  
  
"Cuz they have guns, and you don't," he smiled.  
  
"You don't have a gun, either," he pouted.  
  
"Tails..."  
  
"Oh, fine."  
  
"Let's go, guys."  
  
Lupe armed and readied her rifle, and Antoine already had his pistol in his hand. Sonic stood and crossed his arms, seeing that the SWATbots hadn't even bothered following him, and all six now stayed still in the middle of the street. "Stupid bots. Lupe, wake 'em up a little."  
  
"My pleasure," she smiled, bringing the sight of the weapon up to her eye. She squeezed the trigger, slowly raking her fire over the group of troopers, the shots blasting through half of them. The others returned the gesture, forcing the Mobians to take cover behind the corners of the buildings around them.  
  
Sonic almost wished he had brought an EMP pistol with him or something, but liked that he got a chance to improvise. He had ducked behind a trash dumpster, which gave him wonderful ideas. He grabbed the lid off a nearby garbage can and peeked around the corner, picking out one bot who was preoccupied at the moment. He wound up his arm and let the lid fly. It wobbled in the air, then fell to one side, and straight past his target.  
  
The hedgehog scowled in disgust, then quickly ducked back behind cover as the SWATbots turned its weapon on him. He heard weapons fire, then Antoine's voice calling out to him. "You can come out now, Sonique! All is well!"  
  
Sonic peeked out again, seeing that Lupe and Antoine had already dispatched the remaining three bots. "Whew. Great job, guys."  
  
"How many more SWATbots are there left in the city?" Lupe asked, looking around at the disabled machines.  
  
"Hard to say, but there's lots. We'll have to tell Sally about that, it might change her plans a little."  
  
"Man! Are there any of these that you *didn't* shoot in the head?" Tails asked from below them. He was crouched down running his fingers the one of the troopers' metal craniums.  
  
"Force of habit," Lupe replied.  
  
"Whatcha doin', bro?" Sonic looked down to see what he was up to.  
  
"I've never seen one of these before... dead, I mean. They're kinda nifty."  
  
Sonic chuckled. "What do you wanna do, bring it home?"  
  
"Maybe," Tails shrugged, without any hint of sarcasm. "Think of what we could learn from one of these things. You have to admit, Robotnik knew what he was doing when it came to cybernetics."  
  
"Yeah, well he worked with Uncle Chuck, so let's go ask him instead, okay?"  
  
"Hold on a sec, I've almost got this off..." Tails breathed as the hatch on the side of the SWATbot's head popped off in his hand, and he moved it slightly to look inside. "Whoa, that's cool. It's still running."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The circuitry, it's still online. It's just not moving because you must have shot through some control cables. Heck, I'm bringin' this whole head home, this is awesome."  
  
Sonic shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea, Tails."  
  
"Hey, you!" Tails knocked on his bot's forehead. "I know you're awake, say somethin'!"  
  
|Capture freedom fighters by order of Robotnik,| it droned.  
  
"Not that. Say something interesting."  
  
"Tails, let's go."  
  
"No, wait. This is cool. Go on, ask it something about Robotropolis."  
  
Sonic rolled his eyes. "Oh, okay. SWATbot, where does Robotnik live?"  
  
|Robotnik is located in the central tower of Robotropolis.|  
  
"Nope, sorry, you're wrong. Ro-buttnik's dead. See, told ya it was stupid. Can we go now?"  
  
Tails turned back to the head. "What's Robotnik's first name?"  
  
"That's easy," Sonic shrugged. "It's Ivo, isn't it?"  
  
|Robotnik, Colin. Master of Robotropolis.|  
  
Now Sonic was concerned. "What? That's not right," he paused, then laughed. "It's stupid, and wrong half the time!"  
  
"Who is Colin?" Antoine asked skeptically.  
  
"I dunno. Maybe Egghead changed his name lately. Whatta weirdo."  
  
The SWATbot heard his question. |Colin, Robotnik. Initiated master control sequence on Thirty-Two-Thirty-Eight, day Seventeen.|  
  
"But that's today," Tails retorted, then tossed the head to the ground. "You're right, Sonic. Maybe it is busted."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Sonic was relived when they finally reached Knothole again, and he saw the soft glow of the torches around the courtyard. It was late, and not a light was on in any of the huts, but the faint flicker of what he thought was a candle was coming from medical hut. He bid his team good-night and headed there, opening the door silently.  
  
He immediately saw Sally, slumped in a chair on the side of the room, next to the bed Bunnie was resting in. He went over, coming up behind her and kissing her gently on the neck. She stirred, then her eyes slowly opened. "Hi, Sonic."  
  
"How do ya know it's Sonic?" he replied in a whisper, kissing her again.  
  
"Well, I sure hope it's you, or someone's got some explaining to do," she smiled, and he came over to sit beside her on the bed across from Bunnie's.  
  
"You been here all day?"  
  
"Pretty much," she groaned and stretched. "How did it go?"  
  
"Interesting," he replied. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow. How's Bunnie?"  
  
"Exhausted; she's been out since the procedure was finished. All of the obvious physical traces of her implants are gone, Bookshire was glad for that. As soon as she's awake he'll run more tests, probably tomorrow morning."  
  
Sonic hummed and nodded understandingly. "You going to turn in anytime soon?"  
  
"Soon," she nodded. "I just want to wait a little longer. Bookshire said there's a chance she may wake up before morning, and I want to be here with her when she does."  
  
At that moment, the body in the bed stirred, and Bunnie slowly rolled over, her eyes opening. "Hi, guys," she managed, her voice nearly non-existent.  
  
"Hey, cutie," Sonic winked.  
  
"Welcome back, Bunnie," Sally smiled, her eyes moist. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Like I've been through hell and back," she groaned, trying to lift her head but finding it to hard to accomplish. "Which I guess is pretty accurate."  
  
She looked down at the sheets covering her body, bringing her right hand up to grasp them in her fist. Slowly and dramatically, she pulled them away, seeing for the first time her left arm and hand, and the lower half of her body, her own flesh. She gasped, wiggling her toes and fingers, which stung a little, but she could *feel* them!  
  
"My face!" she exclaimed hoarsely. "What does it look like?"  
  
Sonic handed her a mirror that had been sitting on the table. "See for yourself."  
  
She took it, lifting it before her and peering into it. The left side of her head had no hair, and slight scarring was visible on her neck, but she saw none of that. "My sweet baby blues are back! Both of 'em! Oh!" Her hand fell back to the bed. "Sally-girl, this is the happiest moment of my life!"  
  
"I'm so happy for you, Bunnie," she said, coming forward to hug her as best she could.  
  
"Thanks, Sally," she whispered. "I've been thinkin' about that, though. I don't think it's right that I should be called 'Bunnie Rabbot' anymore, do ya?"  
  
She chuckled. "I guess not."  
  
"I think I'll go back to usin' my old name, if no one minds."  
  
"Georgia?" Sally asked, blinking as she thought it over. "It's only right, though it will be different. We've been calling you 'Bunnie' for a while now."  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter," she sighed contentedly. "We've finally done it. Robotnik is gone now, from both of our lives."  
  
**END OF CHAPTER**  
  
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: More Neat Stuff from Da 'Pode  
  
This one's late, too! But it's not my fault. I just got an internship gig at my aunt's company, so I've been busy moving all my stuff two or three hours from home to this place I'm going to be staying until the end of the summer. But, it's done, and it's here, so read! READ!  
  
Peace out,  
  
-AE 


	12. 3238, Day 065 : Return

01 /22 /04  
  
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux  
  
By Antipode Echidna  
  
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com  
  
Mobian Time: Year 3238, Day 065  
  
Episode: Return  
  
Story (c) 2004 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by copyright laws that r00r your b00rz!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Chip and Cruiser, and Jewel (c) Antipode Echidna (Adam Czech)  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood (David Pistone), without permission.  
  
The screen scrolled slowly, each member of the list being looked over one by one. It had been fortunate that Colin had found the file, a record of all of the late Robotnik's special projects. Most were outlandishly ridiculous, and he loudly scoffed at all these. So far none of them struck him as particularly efficient in destroying the freedom fighters, which was his number one priority.  
  
As he progressed through the text, the projected plans getting more and more grand and idiotic. A tank-like battle cruiser, a heavily-armored airship, even a space station was on the list. "And you wondered why you couldn't find the freedom fighters..." Colin shook his head. "Stupid."  
  
In short, Colin's plans for taking over Robotropolis hadn't been going well. Not only had Robotnik locked up his main control codes, but some of them were dummies, and the real codes were locked up somewhere else. He had been searching for them when he stumbled across the project list, and had been compelled to look through what the good doctor had been doing before he met his end.  
  
He only found one thing that perked his interest. Colin read the heading aloud, slowly: "Ah... the Void. I remember that incident."  
  
More like a debacle, at least for Robotnik. The idiot had made a pact with the devil, a devil named Ixis Naugus. He hadn't trusted Naugus in the least, but recognized the old man's skills, which he had needed for his plan to take over the throne to succeed. Then after it was complete, he had double-crossed the sorcerer and locked him in the dimension Naugus had created, the Void. Colin had also been skeptical at the time, but quickly learned that the old man was wiser and more powerful than Ivo Robotnik could ever hope to be.  
  
Colin sat back in the control chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. With the power of a sorcerer on his side, finding the freedom fighters would be no trouble at all, and in a matter of weeks they could all be eradicated. He grinned sadistically as he thought of it, then rose from the chair, grabbing his data card from the console. "Perhaps it's time to pay our old friend Naugus a visit."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Tails sat silently in the desk chair, in the quiet darkness of the garage. It had been empty of people and sound for nearly five months, in somber reverence of the former keepers of the building. The kid wiped his eyes, having no more tears to shed. He had spent every spare moment of his life inside these walls, first working on the Freedom Stormer than various other vehicles as time went on. Aside from Sonic, Kara had been Tails' best friend, someone he could relate to and learn from.  
  
And now she was gone.  
  
At first the fox hadn't understood completely, but the realization came as soon as he stepped into the empty garage, and wasn't greeted by her warm voice. He had found himself stumbling to her workbench in a state of shock, collapsing into the chair and staring at the floor, crying. When he finally did regain composure, he rubbed his eyes and looked around, all the memories slowly returning, reminding him.  
  
Why did she have to die? he asked himself over and over again. It's wasn't fair. He had known her for a long time, it had been almost three years since they had started the Freedom Stormer project together. What would it be like now that she was no longer there, to talk to him or help him with things. His gaze fell to her workbench. Things would never be the same for him.  
  
Tails saw a small scrap of paper tucked under the base of the lamp. He reached over to pick it up, almost gingerly lifting it from its place. It was folded twice, and he carefully opened it. What he saw threatened to make the tears come again: "Dear Tails..."  
  
He reached up to wipe his eyes, struggling to read the handwriting through mistiness.  
  
"Dear Tails,  
  
"You're reading this note, and I didn't give it to you. You know what that means, so I won't go into any more detail.  
  
"I really loved having you around the garage, buddy. Take care of it for me. If Grease is there, have him help you. Smack him if he doesn't behave.  
  
"Tell everyone at Knothole 'so long' for me, okay? I've got something special for you, too, something I've been working on, as a surprise. It never got finished, but maybe you can do that for me, all right? It's in my cabinet, top shelf, on the left.  
  
"Don't be sad, either, you hear me? You know I wouldn't want that. You have to keep on going without me, but you've got Sonic and everybody else there, too. Remember not to let them feel bad.  
  
"Take care, buddy. I'll be watching out for you.  
  
"With love,  
  
"Kara Kincaid"  
  
Teardrops spattered on the paper, staining it with slowly spreading dots of moisture. Tails sniffed softly, his small fingers clenching around the edges of the letter. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook gently, curling forward until his head was on his knees.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Colin brought himself to humming as he entered the portal room. It was a habit he had developed long ago, but was unable to embellish whenever Robotnik had been around; he would silence him with a "Stop that infernal racket, Snively!" or "Concentrate on your work, Snively!" Now, without him around, Colin could do as he pleased. He didn't have to live in his large, rotund shadow again.  
  
"Now I am Robotnik," he declared to the empty walls. "I am Robotnik!"  
  
He went to the control console and looked it over, getting a general feel for what the buttons and switches would do once he manipulated them. He chuckled a moment as he slid his key card into the slot. It clicked, and the small screen on the board lit up, allowing him access to the data in the banks of the computer.  
  
"Interesting..." he hummed as he looked it over. "Three signatures. I would have thought only Naugus and the king would be in there." He smiled. "Perhaps someone else decided to piss off the doctor, and he locked them up, too."  
  
But then the question arose in his mind: which one to enter? Clearly it was only a matter of random selection, since the stupid machine wouldn't give him any data, other than an entrance code. He frowned. Like it really made any difference.  
  
He punched in the top code, and the machine switched on and set to work. Colin stepped into the middle of the room, turning to face the circular braces set into the wall as they powered up. The lights flickered as the gateway was opened, shedding its prismatic light into the room. He outstretched his hand in a dramatic pose, calling out toward the portal, "Come forth, my friend! Come to aid me in my need!"  
  
Someone did emerge, slowly, but it was definitely not who Colin was expecting. "Why, Snively... So good to see you."  
  
Colin could do nothing but scream.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
It was a blueprint. Tails had found it in the cabinet, as instructed in the letter, amid a neat stack of papers and journals and binders that Kara had kept in there. He brought it down and hopped off the stool, taking it over to the lighted workbench before unrolling it and trying to read.  
  
At first it resembled the plans for the Freedom Stormer, and Tails almost thought he had gotten the wrong one. Upon closer inspection, however, he saw that it was modified, heavily modified, in many respects. It had an open-air cockpit, only large enough for two or three people, including the pilot. The only weapons were two small guns mounted near the nose, and the engine was several factors more powerful than the original. It was clearly built for speed and maneuverability, not combat.  
  
*No armor,* Tails thought skeptically, thinking over the specs for the engine scribbled in the margins. *That's kind of risky, but it might work.* He glanced down to see what Kara had written on the bottom: "For EVERYONE'S little bro, Tails. Freedom Stormer, Mk. II, Freedom Tornado."  
  
Tails smiled. Freedom Tornado; he liked the sound of that. Though with Robotnik gone, "freedom" wasn't something they needed to fight for anymore. Even so, the "Tornado"... Just the name inspired images of greatness. "Thanks... big sis."  
  
The fox looked up as he heard someone enter the garage. He set the prints on the workbench as he stood.  
  
It was Brainerd. "Hey, bud," he called out as he rolled through the doorway. "What are you up to in here?"  
  
"Nuthin, Brain," Tails answered, sitting in the chair again. "Just rememberin' stuff."  
  
The wolf brought his wheelchair to a rest beside the bench. "Kara, huh?" The kid nodded. "Yeah, it's too bad. It's sure not going to be the same without her here anymore."  
  
"Yeah..." he whispered. "But she said 'don't be sad,' so I'm not gonna."  
  
"Good," Brainerd nodded, then patted his shoulder. "Hey, Princess Sally wants you in her office."  
  
He looked up at him. "Huh? What for?"  
  
"Don't know, but she does. Better get over."  
  
"Okay," he replied. He made to stand, then looked over at the airplane plans laying on the desk. He reached over to grab them, then headed for the door.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"B-but how?" he stammered, eyes wide. "You died. I saw you die!"  
  
"And again, your perception is flawed," Ivo Robotnik grinned at his former assistant. He tightened his grip, and the little man cried out again. Colin was presently half a meter in the air, held firmly against the wall by the dictator's iron fist. "I see you've kept busy while I've been... incapacitated."  
  
"You... you..."  
  
Robotnik squeezed harder to silence him. "But you see, I've been making my own plans. Naugus!"  
  
The bent old man came forward and bowed, a wily smile on his face. "Yes, my liege?"  
  
"Dispose of this trash," he commanded, still looking at Colin. "I have no further need of him."  
  
"Yes, sire," Naugus replied, still staring at the floor.  
  
Robotnik cast him to the ground. "Double-crossing swine," he muttered as he turned to walk away.  
  
Colin struggled to rise, eyes shooting daggers. "Look who's talking..." he managed, though his voice was so weak the other didn't hear it.  
  
Naugus seemed to glide toward him, reaching down a gnarled hand to lift him to his feet. His other hand came forward, an unearthly glow emanating from his fingertips. "Now, what shall we do with you, eh?" he hissed into his face.  
  
"What's your angle in all this?" Colin spat. "Have a change of heart?"  
  
"Oh, no," the sorcerer shook his head, lowering his voice so Robotnik couldn't hear it. "But he can't control me, no matter how hard he tries. You see, I've had more time to formulate plans than he has, by a long shot."  
  
Naugus glanced across the room. "And what of the king, Master Robotnik? Are we to leave him?"  
  
Robotnik was about to answer, then he stopped, an idea forming in his mind. "Actually, let's bring him out. I have some ideas on how he can contribute as well."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
The door to Sally's office slowly creaked open, and Tails stuck his head inside. "Aunt Sally?"  
  
"Come in, Tails," Sally replied from behind her desk.  
  
He entered, looking around. Everyone else was there, too. Whatever was going on, it must be important. He came in and took a seat in one of the chairs. Tails immediately looked at Sonic, who had a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Did I do somethin' wrong?" he asked nervously.  
  
"Oh, no, Tails. You didn't do anything," Sally replied. "But we need your help with something. Something important."  
  
"Really? What?"  
  
"Do you remember," she started, choosing her words carefully, "when you were captured by Robotnik?"  
  
"Yeah," he replied sadly.  
  
"You said you saw Robotnik, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh..." he glanced nervously from Sally to Sonic and back. "What's goin' on?"  
  
"Did you see anyone else there? Besides Robotnik?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. There was this goofy little guy, too. The one who poked me."  
  
Sally sat back in her chair and looked up at Sonic. "You were right, Sonic. There's another one."  
  
"Another what?" Tails asked excitedly. "What are we talkin' about?"  
  
"We've been discussing, Tails," Sally answered. "We think there's someone who's taken control of Robotropolis. When you went with Sonic into the city before, and the SWATbot told you about a different Robotnik who put in access codes that day... I don't think it was malfunctioning."  
  
"Oh..." Tails thought that through. "Who? Is it that little guy?"  
  
Sonic nodded. "We think so, little bro. His name's Robotnik, and the dude you saw is the only other Overlander in the city, as far as we know."  
  
"We're just saying that it fits together," Sally put in. "If it is true, though, we have to find out for sure. This could change all of our plans so far."  
  
"Okay... Can I help?"  
  
All eyes in the room turned to face him. Tails was sitting straighter in his chair now, looking to Sally with a steadfast gaze. His request was different from the childlike willingness to tag along he had expressed so many times before. Now he wanted to *help* them, as a skilled member of the team. They had all seen and observed the kid through his life, watching him grow and mature. Now it was coming to fruition, as they all realized.  
  
Sally nodded. "Yes. I need you to go with Sonic and the rest of the team. You're the only one who's seen this 'Colin Robotnik' so we'll need you to ID him when you get there."  
  
Tails blinked. "Okay. Then what are we gonna do?"  
  
"That's it," Sally replied. "We take no action right now. We just need information at the moment."  
  
Sonic shrugged. "Seems easy enough. When do you want to leave?"  
  
"We'll go right away. As soon as everyone's ready. Antoine, you're welcome to come, if you want."  
  
The coyote bowed his head. "*Merci*, Princess. But I believe I will stay behind."  
  
"All right. I'll ask Lupe then." She noticed that Tails was staring down at the ground, as if deep in thought. "Was there something you wanted, Tails?"  
  
He jerked his head up as she called his name. "Um, yeah..." He came forward to set the rolled paper reverently on her desk. "Just something... for you to look at."  
  
Tails turned and left the room, slowly as if in a daze. Sally blinked as she watched him go. Kara's death had been hard on him, that much was evident. He was maturing, definitely, perhaps faster than any child should have to.  
  
"Poor Tails," Sonic sighed as his buddy left.  
  
"He's growing up," Sally nodded. "He misses his friend." At the mention of friends she looked across the room, to the young woman sitting in the chair quietly next to Antoine. "How are you doing?"  
  
"A little better," Georgia answered, blinking. "Still kinda dizzy an' lightheaded. An' this whole hoo-ha with Robotnik's not helpin' much, either."  
  
Antoine reached down to pat her hand as Sally gave a thin smile. She was definitely looking better from the moment she left Bookshire's care three weeks ago. At first it was very difficult for her: her legs were weak from muscle atrophy, her left arm was close to useless, and her eye -- which had been completely mechanized from roboticization -- would need time to rebuild the ocular nerve before she could see properly. She wore a patch over her good eye now, to force her bad eye to do what it needed to do to heal. Bookshire said it would be a slow process, but necessary if she wanted to have her full vision returned. Her hair had completely grown back on the left side of her head, and she let it out slightly longer than she had worn it in the past. But, under all that, she was still the same "Bunnie" they had always known.  
  
Sally came over to sit on the front edge of her desk, closer to her. "Do you feel up for a run to Robotropolis?"  
  
The rabbit's eyebrows shot up as she focused on the large colored blotch she thought was Sally. "Are you kiddin', Sally-girl?"  
  
"Of course," she chuckled. "I just wanted to get a smile out of you, that's all."  
  
Georgia laughed and relaxed back in the chair. "Yeah, an' scare me half ta death!"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
After the Battle of Doomsday -- as it was being called -- the freedom fighters found themselves devoid of transportation. Vehicles large enough to accommodate an entire team were scarce as it was, so finding another for missions became a hard chore. Sally was able to track one down eventually, from another cell not far from them. To call it old would be an understatement, but at least it ran, so they used it.  
  
Sally had no fear driving it into Robotropolis, since no reports they had gotten thus far indicated the perimeter security was still repaired. The only thing this 'Colin Robotnik' had managed to do was take control of the army of SWATbots and a handful of the buildings. If they were lucky they may be able to quell this threat before he got the rest of it, and spare any further bloodshed.  
  
She drove the van to within three miles of the Imperial Tower before parking it and killing the engine. The five occupants piled out, checking their respective weapons and getting ready to move out. Lupe had declined Sally's invitation to join them, so they filled up the final spots in their five-man team with two of their newest applicants.  
  
"Geez, this place looks like crap," Cruiser commented. "So where are we goin' first, boss lady?"  
  
Chip crossed his arms. "Ya know, if you were in medieval times they'd cut off your head for addressing royalty like that," he scolded.  
  
"Well, excuuuuse me!" he retorted, turning to her and giving a highly exaggerated bow. "Verily, where shalst we tread, Your Exalted Majesty boss lady, ma'am!"  
  
Sally had learned to tune out the two over the months, for just a time as that. "We're going into the palace," she told them. "If Colin is controlling the SWATbots from the control room, he'll be up there."  
  
The main control room was on the upper floors, their recon had told them, and there were only a few lifts that would take them that far. One of them was a service elevator from the large cargo delivery area in the back; that was their objective.  
  
They came in slowly, cautiously, Sally having chosen standard group commando tactics, not knowing what to expect. All of their knowledge of Robotnik's style of fighting may have been completely reprogrammed now. They approached the door from both directions: Sonic, Tails, and Cruiser on one side, and Sally and Chip on the other. As soon as she deemed the coast clear, she gave the order to advance, and the five entered the room.  
  
There were no lights on, so their vision was limited. They could see, however, a large device of some kind in the middle of the room -- most likely a loading crane -- and a cement ramp leading to an upper level in the back, probably where the elevator was. Sally motioned, and they all started up. They were halfway up the ramp, when Sally abruptly stopped.  
  
"What is it, Sal?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Something's not right," she answered, looking around without moving.  
  
Sonic did the same, though he saw nothing. "What is it?"  
  
"I'm not sure... Everyone stay here, I'm going ahead."  
  
"Alone?" Sonic raised his eyebrows. "As if. I'm goin' with you!"  
  
"No, Sonic," she answered over her shoulder, her voice far off. "Stay here."  
  
"Sal, what's up?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder as she started forward, as if in a daze. "Sally?"  
  
"You should listen to the little lady," called a voice from above. "Maybe she's just gotten sick of ya."  
  
He looked up to see an old man standing above him. Or maybe floating. "Who the heck are you?"  
  
"Surprised she hasn't told you about me," the old man rasped casually as he descended. He extended his hand. "Name's Ixis Naugus, nice to meet you."  
  
Sonic had been reaching forward, but his hand jerked back. "Holy heck! *You're* Naugus?" He stepped back, turning to address the rest of the team. "Everyone, stay back! This guy's mondo dangerous!"  
  
"Lies! Filthy lies, all of them!" Naugus answered, smiling. "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the world."  
  
"Yeah, right, buddy. Then what are you doin' in Robotropolis, huh?"  
  
"Working with me of course," came an all-too-familiar booming voice from the catwalk above them.  
  
Sonic eyes widened, and he nearly fainted. "N-no way! Robotnik?"  
  
"I'm pleased you still remember me, rodent," the dictator bellowed down at him. "It's been so long, I was thinking you may have forgotten about me."  
  
"Not a chance, after all the crappy stuff you've done, egghead!"  
  
"Ooh, found some new insults for me, have you? I see you've spent your time in freedom well."  
  
"That's not the half of it," he grinned impishly, then turned. "Tails, what were those other ones you got?"  
  
Tails was visibly flustered, but blinked as he concentrated on Sonic. "Oh, um... Eggface?"  
  
"Yeah, good one," he whispered. "You got egg all over your face there, Ro-buttnik! Time to cut down on the cholesterol!"  
  
"Hee hee, yeah!" Tails laughed and jumped forward, joining in. "You get any fatter, you'll be a real Eggman!"  
  
Robotnik put a hand on his heart in a dramatic motion. "Oh, I do believe you've cut me to the quick. What can I ever say to those witty remarks?" He reached forward with his other hand to switch on the lights in the room. "How about... checkmate?"  
  
Sonic gasped. There, hanging from the ceiling by a cable, was King Maximilian Acorn. He was bound hand and foot, suspended upside-down at least six meters from the floor of the loading dock. He was apparently unconscious.  
  
"You see, rodent, I've had some time to think things through. You and your friends wouldn't do anything to me, if it meant risking *his* life." Robotnik pressed a button, and the cable shook, dropping the king a handful of centimeters. "Give yourselves up now, or..." he paused and grinned. "God save the king."  
  
Sally took a step forward, staring up in disbelief. "Daddy?" she managed, a tear coming to her eye. She heard a voice, one that seemed to call to her from a distance. *Sally...*  
  
She couldn't answer, audibly, so just stopped to listen. *Everything will be fine, Sally. Keep Robotnik busy.*  
  
She brought her head up to call out. "Let him go, Robotnik! We... we give up."  
  
Sonic spun. "Say what! Whaddya mean, 'we give up?'"  
  
"We've lost, Sonic," she replied. "I'm not going to risk my father's life."  
  
Robotnik rubbed his hands together with glee. "Excellent... I'm glad you finally see reason, Princess. Naugus, please incarcerate the creatures."  
  
The bent old man came forward. "At once, my liege." He stretched out his hands, which seemed charged with otherworldly energy. Sonic felt his body abruptly spasm, his every muscle screaming with pain. He wasn't sure what Naugus was doing to him, but he found himself out of control of his body, only moving where the sorcerer willed him. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't find the strength to do even that.  
  
A gunshot. He thought he heard something, but if it was a gunshot or not he couldn't be entirely sure. He only realized that the pain was gone when his body hit the concrete floor. He looked up in surprise, following Naugus' distracted gaze to the ceiling. The cable that had been holding King Max had snapped, but his body was still in the air, coming to the ground only slowly. Sonic wanted nothing more than to know what was going on, but could only roll over before his body started to hurt again.  
  
Sally, on the other hand, had reoriented herself quickly and came out of Naugus' spell on her feet. She watched and stared as her father gently came to rest on the floor, beside a small canine with a sniper rifle. Chip lowered his weapon from his eye, smiling at his precise aim.  
  
"Ya know," Cruiser called out from behind him, a cocky grin on his face. "If you were in medieval times they'd cut yer head off for treatin' royalty like that."  
  
Naugus snarled. "Why, you little-"  
  
"Now, now, Naugus," a voice soothed from just outside the doorway. "He does have a point."  
  
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Jewel."  
  
"I see you've finally gotten free of the Void," the woman smiled as she entered, smoothly and professionally, the glow of psychic energy fading from her hands.  
  
"Thanks to our dear friend, Doctor Robotnik."  
  
Now it was the cat's eyes that narrowed. "Robotnik's no friend of mine."  
  
Robotnik braced his hands on the guardrail of the catwalk and leaned over. "Naugus! What are you doing?"  
  
"Complications, my liege," he answered through clenched teeth, not taking his eyes off the woman.  
  
"Well, take care of them!" he shouted as he headed for the lift. "Unless you'd rather return to your prison..."  
  
Naugus scowled. "I'll show you who I'll take care of..."  
  
"Why do you let him push you around?" Jewel asked. "You're not the Ixis Naugus I once knew."  
  
"Things change. I mean, except you."  
  
"Why don't you just let them go? It doesn't have to be like this."  
  
"You know damn well how it has to be!" the old man spat. His aged frame moved fluidly into a readied stance. "And you know how this must end."  
  
Jewel kept his gaze. "Sally! Get your team out of he', now!"  
  
Sally glanced about nervously before issuing evacuation orders. Sonic had shaken the dizziness from his head and got up, hoisting the king on his shoulders and getting away. It was only when all five of the freedom fighters had exited did she move again.  
  
Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply, moving in a sweeping motion and into a skilled martial pose, her right hand glowing. Her eyes flashed open into a glare. "Make you' move."  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
"Double-crossers, the lot of them!" Robotnik muttered to himself as he marched through the halls. "First Snively, now Naugus... I can't trust anyone, *anyone*!"  
  
He made it to the control room, and the lights immediately flickered on. "I'll show them. I knew this would happen, I knew it."  
  
Robotnik sat into the control chair, pressed a large red button on the side. With a loud hiss of compressed air the chair shook as the catches along the bottom released and the engines powered up. The hum grew in intensity until the force was sufficient enough to bring the control station into the air. He chuckled as he wheeled the odd pod-shaped vehicle toward a secret escape hatch in the wall of the tower.  
  
His finger hovered over another button, one with a plastic cover that he flipped open. When he was out of the building, his thumb jabbed down. "Chew on *this*, rodent!"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
They had barely cleared a street's-width of the cargo dock when the tower exploded. All five were thrown to the pavement, and Sally was the first to bring her head up and look around. The loading bay was on fire, and something high above them was burning, too. Another explosion came, one that brought the princess to action.  
  
"Everyone back to the van!" she screamed to the others. "GO!"  
  
Thunderous explosions came from nearly every level of the building, as a chain reaction began ripping the palace apart from the inside. She started the vehicle and peeled out onto the street, racing through the streets of the city with reckless abandon.  
  
It was only moments later that the final bomb sounded, the one that destroyed the base of the structure. They all watched in horror as the entire Royal Imperial Tower teetered slightly, before breaking away and collapsing in on itself. Slowly, slowly it fell, sinking into a cloud of dust that spread into the streets and alleys around it.  
  
Sally continued driving, automatically, completely and utterly shocked at what she had just seen. Her mind was blank, save for one though: "If Robotnik is still alive, he will pay."  
  
**END OF CHAPTER**  
  
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Someone's Not Payin' Up  
  
First order of business: Someone's gotta 'fess up here. I've gotten a handful of people sending in reviews on FF.N for this piece of literary art (*cough*), most notably the wonderful Ambre Weisnewski, who's brought in a new review every time she reads a chapter. I LOVE THIS. If some of you are thinking, "Yeah, I love this fic, I guess," TELL ME SO! OVER AND OVER! I LOVE getting reviews for this fic, it lets me know people are reading this. So, send in reviews for me! (If you're reading this on SVT, you can still review, either by email or anonymous review.)  
  
Second order of business: People ARE reading this, and are too afraid to tell me. FF.N kindly says that I'm on someone's Favorite Authors list. Well, that's nice! So, if someone thinks I'm so great an author, would you mind letting me know with a review or five? Thank you, whoever thinks I'm so great! ^_^  
  
Third order of business: More ridiculous incentives. I've got a new contest for everybody. If you read this fic (and since you just read that sentence, I assume you are) and send in a review for me, I'll give you or one of your characters a cameo / guest spot in a later chapter of FFoM. I've got 18 chaps to go now, so if you want to have your guy be in here, send in a review and I'll get back to you about available placements. So far, I've got two fanchars placed for future eps, the aforementioned Miss Ambre and... my mom. (Hey, you, stop laughing!)  
  
Fourth order of business: This is getting too long but I want to put in a shameless plug for my art. LuxInvictus.DeviantArt.com Go there now and check out my lovely pics. Please?  
  
Fifth order of business: I'm just kidding, I'm really done now.  
  
Catch Ya'll Later,  
  
-AE 


	13. 3238, Day 106 : Revive

02 /08 /04  
  
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux  
  
By Antipode Echidna  
  
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com  
  
Mobian Time: Year 3238, Day 106  
  
Episode: Revive  
  
Story (c) 2004 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by copyright laws that r00r your b00rz!  
  
Other characters:  
  
Antipode Echidna, Crazy Zane (c) Antipode Echidna (Adam Czech)  
  
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood (David Pistone), without permission.  
  
"Hmm. Interesting."  
  
"What's interesting, Rote?"  
  
"It looks like... yeah, they're definitely similar, at least in the molecular composition. Tails, how does it look on your end?"  
  
"They both say the same thing, kinda. The needle won't stop movin'."  
  
"Hmm," he said again. "Erratic signatures. The radiation must be unstable. Which would explain a few things, I guess..."  
  
"Hey, Rote, what are ya talkin' about?"  
  
Rotor lifted his eye from the view-plate and pushed his goggles to his forehead. "Careful, Sonic. We're doing radiation tests in here."  
  
"Whoa, sorry," his foot stopped in mid-stride. "Is it dangerous?"  
  
"Not really, just put on some goggles and that vest there."  
  
"Okay..." Sonic said slowly, locating the indicated items and putting them on. He came over to them, adjusting the goggles to make them fit right. "So whatcha doin'?"  
  
"We're lookin' at the Chaos Emeralds," Tails offered, blinking through his thick black lenses. "We're trying to figure out how they've got so much power in 'em."  
  
"Oh," Sonic answered, nodding. "Got anything yet?"  
  
"No," Rotor shook his head. "They're really complex, much more so than a regular gem. And somehow they can carry a large amount of radiation, too. How much was it, Tails?"  
  
"Way up there!" the ten-year-old called over from his station. "Past the 200-mark even!"  
  
"So what does that mean?" Sonic asked, crossing his arms over the lead vest.  
  
"Well, the radiation is virtually the same as the New Years' Glow..."  
  
"Right."  
  
"...but the Glow is much stronger, estimated at far more than 1000 marks. The Emeralds are strong, but not that strong."  
  
"Oh. But, what would happen if, say, you used more than one Emerald at a time?"  
  
"Well, that's just it," Rotor sighed. "I'm not sure how to use them at all. We've been trying to figure out a way to unlock all the energy these things contain, but so far it hasn't been going well."  
  
"What do you mean? How did Emerald Hill and all those other places use 'em, then?"  
  
"I don't know, Sonic. Hopefully we can go analyze some of their machinery, though. I'd love to know how they did it."  
  
"Hmm. Maybe I can talk Sal into it. She's been pretty bummed lately, though."  
  
Rotor looked up. "King Max?"  
  
Sonic nodded. "It's different, knowing that he's somewhere else, to having him really be dead, ya know?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The hedgehog stopped to think back. They had been able to rescue the king from Robotnik and Naugus, but on the way back to Knothole they realized that he wasn't breathing. The whole thing had been a cruel plot: Robotnik had killed the king before hand, then just hung him up as the bait. Then he had destroyed the Imperial Tower, too, with Naugus and their ally Jewel still inside. It had been quiet for the past month, and they still didn't know if Robotnik was still alive. Sally had taken it slow, now more than ever unwilling to rush into things.  
  
Sonic blinked, then reached over for a power ring that was on the table. "So have you figured these babies out, either?"  
  
Rotor chuckled. "Haven't even started."  
  
He threw it up in the air and caught it on a finger. "Do you think they have anything to do with the Emeralds?"  
  
The techie shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. So far, there hasn't been a connection, other than that they both hold energy of some kind. But, it's a different kind of energy, and they don't seem to work the same way."  
  
"Well, keep up the good work, man."  
  
"Thanks, Sonic. Hey, Tails, bring that Emerald over here, will you?"  
  
"Okay, just a sec," the kid called back, switching off the sensor machine before reaching inside to pull out the Chaos Emerald he had been testing. He started toward them, but his foot snagged on a tool lying on the ground. He cried out and lurched forward, the Emerald falling from his grasp.  
  
"I got it!" Sonic said and reached out, his highly attuned reflexes allowing him to catch the gem with both hands. As the surface touched his hands, he felt the energy the Emerald contained. He gasped, having forgotten what it felt like. The gem seemed to rise from his palms as he stared, glowing brighter and brighter.  
  
Rotor grabbed the Chaos Emerald away. Sonic blinked. "What was that for, Rote?"  
  
"Are you insane!" the walrus raised his eyebrows. "These things are dangerous, and you aren't protected from their radiation."  
  
Sonic rolled his eyes. "Rotor, chill out. I've played with these things before without any 'protection,' and I'm fine."  
  
"We don't know that yet," he shook his head, placing the Chaos Emerald into a protective case. "No offense, Sonic, but I'd like to be sure before we start tossing these things around, all right?"  
  
He shrugged. "Whatever, buddy. But you can take my word for it, these things aren't dangerous, a'right?"  
  
Rotor just shook his head slowly and returned to his work. Sonic sighed and headed outside. Knothole had calmed down a bit recently, since by all accounts Robotnik was gone. *Really* gone. Unless the fat man could cheat death twice, he wouldn't be coming back.  
  
After the loss of her father, Sally had retreated into her work. Most of the Mobians who had came to them for help so long ago were gone now, moved into other settlements in the forest around them. The issue of returning to Robotropolis was now a higher priority, but everything moved so slowly now. It was as if they weren't sure what to do, now that they had truly won the war. No one to fight anymore, no where to go; things had moved to a virtual standstill.  
  
And if there was one thing Sonic hated, it was standing still. He jogged out onto the forest path, treading the maze that took him to one of Knothole's perimeter guard towers, hidden in the foliage. He stood at the base of the tree and called up, "Yo, Ant! You up there?"  
  
There was a rustling above. "Oui, Sonic. What is it?"  
  
"Anything weird goin' on?"  
  
The coyote shook his head. "No, why?" A pause. "You're bored, aren't you?"  
  
"Darn tootin', I'm bored!" he stamped his foot. "There's gotta be something to do around here!"  
  
"You could always take guard duty," he replied, amusement in his voice. "In fact, have my shift. I have been wanting to return to Knothole, anyway."  
  
Sonic scowled. He meant he wanted something to do that wasn't work, but whatever. He looked up as Antoine climbed down to the ground. "Merci, Sonic."  
  
"Yeah, whatever, Ant. Don't say I never do nuthin' for ya."  
  
Antoine laughed and headed back down the path. Sonic climbed up into the crude shelter built in the tree branches, getting into a comfortable spot with his hands behind his head. Guard duty was always no sweat, especially for him. It was only a few moments, however, when he was awakened by a tone above him. It was quiet, barely loud enough for him to hear: the communicator.  
  
Sonic reached up to grab it, switching it on. "Yeah? Post Three."  
  
"This is Five," came the reply; it was Lupe. "Sonic, I've got a contact."  
  
He straightened. Finally, some action. "Yeah?"  
  
"Just passed my stand ninety seconds ago, headed your way."  
  
Sonic craned his neck to look around him. "I haven't seen anything."  
  
A beat of silence. "You were sleeping again, weren't you?"  
  
"Hey, gimme a break! I didn't *hear* nuthin' either, a'ight?"  
  
"They must have gone a different way. Maybe you should get back to Knothole."  
  
"What, 'they?' How many of them are there?"  
  
"Just two," she answered. "A taller guy in a leather jacket, and the other looked like a chipmunk, shorter."  
  
He squinted. "Doesn't sound like Robotnik's goons."  
  
Lupe laughed. "You were hoping it was?"  
  
"I was hoping it'd be something more than two guys lost in the woods."  
  
"They didn't seem to be lost. In fact, they looked like they knew exactly where they were going."  
  
"Knothole?"  
  
"That'd be my guess."  
  
"Thanks, Lupe," Sonic signed off and put the comm back on its stand. He leapt down to the ground and juiced back to camp.  
  
When he arrived, everything looked the way it did when he left. "Good, they're not here, yet," he said to himself as he headed for Sally's office.  
  
"Hey, Sal, Lupe said there were these guys- AHH!"  
  
Sonic stopped in his tracks as a man in a leather jacket turned his head to face him. He was seated facing Sally's desk, with the aforementioned chipmunk in the chair behind him. Sonic managed a wave. "Heh heh, hi." *How did he get here before me?* he didn't say.  
  
Sally stood. "Sonic, I'm glad you're here. I'd like you to meet someone who's come to help us."  
  
The hedgehog stepped forward, perking an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"  
  
The stranger stood, rising a handful of centimeters over Sonic. He wore a forest green shirt beneath his jacket, and simple blue jeans that looked ragged from use. Also of interest to Sonic was a sheath strapped across his back, with some kind of sword in it. He extended a leather-gloved hand. "You can call me Antipode," he smiled.  
  
Sonic hesitantly reached forward to shake, noticing two small studs on his glove, on his first and fourth knuckles. Antipode saw that he noticed them. "Don't worry about that, it's an echidna thing."  
  
"Echidna?" Sonic echoed. "You're not from around here, are you?"  
  
"Um, no. We've been on the road a lot."  
  
Sally spoke up. "Antipode says he wants to join us."  
  
Sonic raised his brows. "Yeah, that's right," Antipode answered. "I heard about the stuff you're going through here, and think I can help out."  
  
"Huh," Sonic grunted. "Well, that's real nice of you, but we've got all the help we need right now. See ya!"  
  
Sally grabbed Sonic's arm and pulled him aside. "Sonic, what was that? You're being really rude!"  
  
"I don't trust this dude, Sal. I dunno, my hedgehog instincts are goin' crazy!"  
  
"Well, give your 'hedgehog instincts' a rest for once. Antipode's come a long way, and I'm not about to turn him down."  
  
Sonic crossed his arms as Sally turned back to him. "I'd be honored if you would join us at Knothole."  
  
The red-spined echidna bowed his head. "Thank you, Princess Sally. I shall do my best to aid you in your time of need."  
  
Sonic scoffed silently. *This guy's all talk.*  
  
"I'm afraid things are a little slow around here at the moment," Sally sighed, then smiled, "but I'm sure Sonic will be happy to bring you up to speed while he shows you around Knothole."  
  
"Say what!"  
  
"Come on, Sonic. Just show him around, that's not so hard is it?"  
  
He growled deep in his throat. "I guess not..."  
  
She smiled sweetly, forcing a smile out of him as well. "All right, you guys, let's go," he muttered and headed for the door. "By the way, what's your friend's name?"  
  
"Oh, this is Zane," Antipode replied, motioning to the chipmunk. "He's my traveling partner."  
  
"How ya doin', Zane?"  
  
The little guy was looking around at his surroundings nervously, wide-eyed, almost trembling. "I'm good, I guess," he chattered quickly.  
  
He eyed him warily. "Is he okay?"  
  
"Yeah, he's like that most of the time," Antipode replied. "Don't worry about him."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"Your name's Sonic, right?" he changed the subject as they passed the mess hall.  
  
"It's more of a nickname, really. I run fast, that's what I do. So what about 'Antipode?' What's the deal with that?"  
  
"Like you, a nickname," he blinked, and Sonic could see that his left eye was slightly discolored. "A long story to go along with it, too, but you probably don't want to hear that."  
  
"You're right, I don't. I saw your sword before, you a swordsman?"  
  
Antipode nodded. "Yeah. Not many people use 'em, though, that I've seen."  
  
"You should go talk to Antoine," Sonic chuckled. "Here's our resident swordsman."  
  
Antipode smiled. "Maybe I will."  
  
He had been suspicious from the moment he had seen the echidna's blade. True, not many people used them, but he knew that someone did, someone who had participated in Robotnik's assault on Emerald Hill almost two years ago. That was the lurking mistrust that he felt, though he couldn't place it until now. Time to try and put his fears to rest.  
  
"So, uh, how long have you been traveling again?"  
  
He shrugged. "Oh, bout three or four years, give or take."  
  
"That's a long time. Where you from?"  
  
"Oh, some small-time settlement somewhere. You've probably never heard of it."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"Riverside Village?"  
  
"Never heard of it." Antipode laughed. "How'd you find this place? We were fightin' Eggman for years and he never did."  
  
"Got a lot of tips," he answered, flexing his gloves. "Actually found a few of your other bases, I think. They were just as skeptical as you, at first."  
  
"Yeah, I bet. Which ones? I've probably heard of those."  
  
"Oh..." the echidna rolled his eyes upward, trying to remember. "Zane, how many did we stop at?" The chipmunk shrugged. "Well, you're no help. Let's see, there was Rockquarry, Beachhead, the Pit..."  
  
Sonic chuckled. "You went to the Pit, huh?"  
  
Antipode made a face. "Yeah. Didn't stay *there* long. Then there was Greenport..."  
  
"The SWATbots were before Greenport," Zane squeaked.  
  
"Oh, yeah." He saw Sonic's questioning gaze and elaborated. "We got ambushed by a squad of SWATbots as we were coming into the Forest. No big deal."  
  
Zane chittered. "Yeah, 'cept you almost died!"  
  
Antipode rolled his eyes. "Dude, cut it out. I did not almost die!"  
  
Sonic crossed his arms and grinned. "Sounds like a conflicting story ya got there."  
  
"Okay, okay, here's what happened: We got attacked by the SWATbots, right? And then we got separated in the woods, and we had to fight 'em off. I only have my sword, don't use firearms. That's why Zane travels with me."  
  
Sonic's eyebrows shot up again. Zane smiled, pulling back his jacket to show a large pistol strapped inside. The hedgehog shuddered to think what an obviously erratic individual was doing with weaponry.  
  
Antipode continued. "Anyway, I can't hold off three SWATbots by myself with a sword in the woods, so I got smacked around pretty bad. Luckily, though, I must have been near a monastery or something, because these monks found me and brought me back to their place."  
  
Sonic straightened. "Monks?"  
  
"Yeah, Emerald somethingorother. Cornelius was the guy's name."  
  
"Emerald Hill."  
  
"Yeah, that's it," he nodded. "You've heard of it?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Hmm. Well, they fixed me up and sent me on my way."  
  
Sonic's skepticism of Antipode just rose three points. "When was this?"  
  
"About two years ago or so. Wouldn't you say, Zane?"  
  
"Man, I dunno. I've never been to the place."  
  
"Whatever. About two years, I think."  
  
Sonic breathed deeply. This was definitely something to tell Sally about. He'd show her his suspicion of their new "friend" was well-warranted. He tried to hide it, though, as he continued to guide him through the rest of Knothole.  
  
"...And here's the lab. I'd show you inside, but Rotor and Tails are working on the... on something important." *Good save, hedgehog. Don't need to tell this guy any more than you need to.*  
  
"Your camp technicians?"  
  
"Yeah, you could say that. Rotor's actually in charge, but Tails... yeah, I guess Tails is a techie now, too. He runs the garage, pretty much."  
  
"Tails?"  
  
"Yeah, another nickname."  
  
Antipode nodded. "Gotcha."  
  
"You'll see when ya meet him. Okay, you've already met Sal, Lupe's out on guard duty... Which only leaves..."  
  
As if on cue, the door to Georgia's hut opened. Antoine came out first, guiding her down the stairs. She looked around, though she still had that look in her eyes that she couldn't quite focus on her surroundings. She took his arm firmly, easing down the small flight of steps and onto the ground.  
  
"This is Georgia and Antoine. Georgia's recovering right now, but she'll be back on duty as our close-team recon specialist in no time."  
  
"That's awful nice o' you, sugar-hog," she smiled at him. "But I'm in no position fer duty any time soon."  
  
"Antoine, well... what kinda 'specialist' are you, Ant?"  
  
"Combat training, I would think," he grinned. "Seeing as how I am the only one to ever be hitting the targets in the firing range, hmm?"  
  
"Hey, don't rub it in. I don't use the stupid guns, anyway."  
  
"Which is why you fail," he gave a teasing sigh. "And who is this, may I ask?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. This is Antipode. He's a new guy Sal's lettin' join the team."  
  
Antoine raised his eyebrows. "Fresh blood, hmm? Anxious to see how you prove yourself, my friend."  
  
Antipode grinned in return. "You the guy who uses the swords?"  
  
The coyote reached over to pull his rapier a few centimeters out of its sheath. "Oui. Have an interest in swordplay, do you?"  
  
He reached up to similarly pull his own sword out. "Yeah."  
  
"Ah. Interested in a small sparring match, perhaps, to test your skills?" he asked, a smile on his lips. "For your 'initiation' to Knothole?"  
  
"Um, I don't know about that. I'm kinda rusty when it comes to duels."  
  
"So am I, mon ami. Are you afraid?"  
  
"No way, buddy. Bring it."  
  
Suffice it to say, news of the duel spread like fire through the camp. Everyone was getting pretty bored with the monotony that followed the war, and soon every Mobian in Knothole had gathered to witness the fight, like kids in a schoolyard. They created an arena of sorts in the courtyard, with Antoine at one end and Antipode at the other. Even Sally showed up, at first in question of the motives behind it, but Sonic convinced her that they were sizing up their new recruit, and everything would be done fairly.  
  
When everyone finally arrived, the fighters stopped warming up and prepared to step onto the battlefield. Georgia held Antoine's hand tight, giving him a small peck on the cheek. "Be careful, sugar."  
  
Zane turned to Antipode, lips puckered. "Careful, shuh-ger!"  
  
"Shut up, dork," the echidna retorted and shoved him backward over the log he had been sitting on. He stood, sliding his sword from its sheath, then un-strapping the case and letting it fall to the ground. The least encumbrance he could manage, the better.  
  
Antoine had his foil in his hand, practicing some lunges. He saw Antipode's sword, a long, slightly-curved katana. "If you wish, I have some extra rapiers in my quarters. They would be faster in a duel, non?"  
  
"No, thanks," he shook his head. "I'm more comfortable with my own."  
  
"As you wish," he shrugged and gave a quick salute with his blade. "Shall we begin?"  
  
Antipode shifted his sword to his left hand, returning the salute, then flicked his wrist to spin the weapon around into a two-handed fighting position. "After you."  
  
Antoine started slowly forward, blade ahead before him at the ready, left hand behind his back. The echidna watched him carefully, observing his movements, but standing his ground. With a burst of motion the first attack was made, a simple lunge that Antipode easily batted aside. There was sharp echoing ring as the metals met, then Antoine took a step back. He waited a moment before striking again with a slanted cut from his left, and a quick follow-up swing across his middle. Both were blocked fluidly, and they continued to watch each other, sizing up one another.  
  
*He's testing me,* Antipode thought as he took a step backward. *Gradually increasing the level of his attacks, to see how much I know. Time to take the initiative here.*  
  
He lunged forward, inverting his wrists to perform a circular upward move that came around to cross Antoine's chest twice. The first time he was pushed away by the other's blade, the second ended in a locking of their swords. Neither of their faces made a show of weakness as the battle of strength was initiated, until Antoine circled his rapier back toward him as he took a step backward.  
  
"Very good, mon ami. Very good. How long have you been studying swordplay?"  
  
Antipode was about to answer when he brought up his defenses again. Antoine made a swing at his side, which he parried. *He's distracting me with questions,* he thought to himself. *Have to stay focused.*  
  
"A while," was all he said, too busy watching his foe to count back the years.  
  
"You fight very well," he said, coming forward again to lay down a handful more attacks, simple moves he knew Antipode could block.  
  
*Now what's he doing? Playing with me?*  
  
"Not to intimidate you or something like that," Antoine continued, "but I have studied for fifteen years, including two under the tutelage of Grand Master General Santiago."  
  
"Sorry," he panted, surprised he was out of breath already, "but that doesn't really mean anything to me."  
  
Antipode didn't know if it was his comment that set him off, but Antoine decided now was the time to lay down the heat. With a flurry of motion he began his attacks, gracefully strung together and carefully planned. The echidna worked just as fast, parrying or evading each blow with a flick of his wrist, keeping his feet moving in the complex dance. After nearly a dozen movements Antoine stepped back once more, giving Antipode some space to breathe.  
  
He stayed in the ready position, chest rising and falling as he watched the coyote, who seemed to have wasted no energy in the attack. "A little out of shape, hmm?"  
  
"Haven't done this in a while," the other managed, flexing his gloved fingers around the hilt of his sword. Now came his turn to attack, and he did so slowly, watching Antoine's reaction to his simple moves. He observed his reaction time to his attacks, especially when he varied his moves in sequence, but found no obvious flaws to his methods. He was good, too good to be defeated by someone who hadn't engaged in a formal duel since being taught.  
  
He finished his statement, stepping back again and waiting for Antoine's response. The coyote flicked the tip of his blade forward, making it bounce slightly. "You fight well, but you are indeed out of practice."  
  
Antipode ground his teeth and let the comment slide. He was too tired to engage in a verbal sparring match as well.  
  
"You do have an interesting style, though," he kept talking, now mostly to himself. "Who trained you?"  
  
And again he didn't wait for the answer, launching into another volley of blows. After deflecting four Antipode angled his katana so that their blades were locked, taking the moment to look straight into his eyes. "Self taught."  
  
With one strong pull both of the swords swung in a tight spiral, the rapier being spun from Antoine's grip to impale the earth two meters away. Antipode took a step back and lowered his sword, breathing heavily. Antoine looked with wide eyes to where his weapon had fallen, then turned to him and smiled. "Welcome to Knothole, mon ami."  
  
He clapped loudly, and the ovation soon spread through those gathered to watch the duel. Antipode looked around and sighed. He didn't know if it was from the applause or the exertion, but he was about to pass out.  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
It wasn't long before Antipode had met everyone at the Knothole camp, either through formal introductions or just receiving congratulations from someone who had seen the fight. He felt somewhat lightheaded, and as soon as he could he sat down at the commons, and tried to relax. Sonic disappeared after the duel, but Antipode had a definite feeling that he wouldn't be seeing him a whole lot. The hedgehog didn't like him, for what reason he didn't know, but it was best not to step on too many toes, if he could help it.  
  
The impressions from everyone else at Knothole were positive, at least. Sally was obviously grateful for his help, and he certainly had a "comrade-in-arms" of sorts in Antoine. Hopefully he could get Sonic over to his side eventually, but it would be best to take it slow, at least for now.  
  
He and Zane sighed together. "Crazy, ain't it?" the chipmunk squeaked.  
  
"Tell me about it," he chuckled. "And we thought finding the place would be the hard part."  
  
"You always said finding it would be the *easy* part."  
  
"I did? I should start listening to myself more often."  
  
"Hey..." Zane craned his neck to look out into the courtyard. "What's goin' on?"  
  
"Hmm?" Antipode turned his head to look. Sonic was there, waving his arms like he was directing traffic, getting everyone's attention. Sally came out of her office behind him, and he spoke quickly to her, gesticulating wildly. Sally answered something, then Sonic gestured into the crowd and walked away.  
  
"Think we should go check it out?" Zane asked, looking up at him.  
  
"Don't see why not," Antipode replied, sliding his chair back and standing.  
  
The crowd was dispersing as the two crossed the courtyard in the direction of Sally's office. Sonic met them halfway. "Hey, you guys, c'mon."  
  
"Where are we going?" Antipode asked.  
  
"Sal's got a mission she wants you to come along on. Grab a pack, let's go."  
  
The hedgehog walked quickly away, leaving Antipode and Zane to stand and wonder in the middle of the courtyard. "Um..."  
  
"This way!"  
  
They jogged over, Antipode coming through the door as Sonic threw a supply pack at him. He caught it awkwardly in both hands. Sonic grabbed another off the shelf and pushed past him out the door. He looked up to Antoine, who was fixing the straps on his own pack. "Don't worry, mon ami. Sonic is just a pain sometimes."  
  
"Yeah... guess so."  
  
The four of them met at the edge of the camp, near the forest path. "Okay, let's go."  
  
They started off, and Antipode let the silence hang for a while before asking, "So are you going to tell *me* what this mission is, or do I hafta guess?"  
  
Sonic sighed loudly. "We got a call from the remote outpost stations, say they saw somethin' weird. We're supposed to check it out."  
  
"Oh," another pause. "Ya know, Sonic, if you don't like me you could just say so instead of making my life hell."  
  
Antipode couldn't see his face, but he could sense he had struck a nerve. He could hear the hedgehog taking deep breaths, obviously trying to control himself. "What makes ya think I don't like you?"  
  
"Oh, cut the crap, buddy. You haven't liked me since you walked into Princess Sally's office and saw me sitting there. And don't try to hide it now, cuz you've been doing a *really* bad job so far."  
  
That did it. Sonic spun around to Antipode straight in the face. "Ya know what, you're right! I *don't* like you! Wanna know why? Cuz I had a buddy of mine killed two years ago, someone with strong connections in the resistance. Someone in the inside helped Robotnik hit the place, and it almost brought our whole rebellion to its knees! And now *you* show up, and all signs point to *you* bein' the inside guy!"  
  
Antipode took a step back. "What the heck are you talking about?"  
  
"Emerald Hill, that's what the heck I'm talkin' about! Cornelius, the monks, any of this ringin' the old bell?"  
  
The echidna's eyes widened. "Cornelius is dead?"  
  
Sonic scoffed. "Yeah, like you didn't know."  
  
"I didn't," Antipode shook his head. "When was this? Two years ago?"  
  
"Yeah, right after they 'fixed you up,' I think that's how you put it."  
  
"I had no idea," he replied quietly. "Everything seemed fine when I left... All of them?"  
  
"Yeah. There was no one left when I got there."  
  
There came that dizziness again. "Oh, man... Dude, trust me, I had nothing to do with whatever happened there. I'm sorry if you think it was me."  
  
"I still do."  
  
Antoine stepped forward. "Give it a rest, Sonic. He says he had nothing to do with it. I believe, you should, too."  
  
"You tellin' me what to do, Ant?"  
  
"Call it a 'friendly suggestion.'"  
  
Sonic inhaled and exhaled, then spun around and continued down the path. The rest slowly followed, obviously at more of a distance than before. Antoine sidled up to Antipode, his voice low enough that Sonic wouldn't hear. "Don't let him get to you. Sonic's just stubborn like that."  
  
The echidna just nodded.  
  
The edge of the forest was surrounded by a steep incline to the plain below. Sonic emerged from the trees first, standing as close to the precipice as he could and looking out over the vast expanse. There was a thick layer of clouds in the sky, and their shadows crept along the ground for miles in all directions. "Yep," Sonic commented. "There it is."  
  
"There what is?" Antipode asked, scanning the ground below. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  
  
"Right there," he replied, pointing two fingers into the sky. "See it?"  
  
He squinted against the glare of the sun, barely able to make out an unnatural shape drifting in and out of the cloud cover. "What the...?"  
  
"See it, Ant?"  
  
"Oui," he answered solemnly. "Twenty bucks says who it belongs to, as well."  
  
"You know I don't have the money," Sonic smiled, "and I'm not a bettin' man anyways. 'Sides, we all know who it belongs to."  
  
"Who?" Antipode asked.  
  
"Robotnik."  
  
"I thought you said he was dead."  
  
"Dude, if I had a dollar every time we thought Eggman was dead... I'd be able to take you up on your bet, Ant. Better call it in."  
  
Antoine lifted a rangefinder to his eyes as Sonic reached for his radio. When the clouds parted enough he could see the markings on the side, along with one the freedom fighters had come to associate with Doctor Robotnik.  
  
"Yeah, Sal? We found it. Uh-huh. Uuuuh-huh. Yeah, me too. Right."  
  
He turned it off and turned back to them. "Let's head back," he sighed. "Guess the war's still on."  
  
Antoine lowered the lenses. "What is he doing way out here? He's been awfully quiet these past few months."  
  
"Who knows? Without his base of operations in Robotropolis anymore... maybe he's looking for more resources or somethin'. Ya know, before he starts at it again."  
  
Now Antoine sighed. "Doesn't take a hint, does he?"  
  
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-  
  
Doctor Ivo Robotnik keyed through his computer system, making sure all the material was loaded properly on his new warship, the Wing Fortress. It was skillful planning that he had all his major projects either completed or well underway by the time he had finished Doomsday. If he had been released from the Void under other circumstances, he may not have been so fortunate. But, by his luck, his flying fortress had been berthed in an airdock not far from the Tower Imperial, allowing him easy escape to it while he used the building's destruction as a diversion.  
  
He had made rounds to all of his automated production facilities around Robotropolis since fleeing the city, where he checked on all of his worker bots and transferred their equipment to his ship, if necessary. His previous Doomsday machine had been a ground test, to see if the mechanics and such were constructed properly. Even though it had been destroyed, it had served its purpose.  
  
His next creation would be truly a work of art, one so beyond the reach of the "freedom fighters" that they would be powerless to stop it. But he still needed one thing to make it complete.  
  
He pressed a button, and a small holographic display shimmered to life, showing a small rotated gemstone. The Chaos Emeralds. If he could find enough of them, and harness their power to give life to his creations... he chuckled deep in his throat. These jewels were the key to everything he needed now. He would have to find them, and quickly. His arrival in the Wing Fortress surely could not have gone unnoticed, and it would only be a matter of time before he was again met with resistance.  
  
**END OF CHAPTER**  
  
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: A Note on Season 3  
  
Yeah, sorry about the ending on this one, it's really bad. It gets kinda "ho-hum" that they found Robotnik again, for the freedom fighters and for you, the readers, cuz ya KNOW I had to bring him back; I won't bother with any dramatics this time around.  
  
By the way, for those of you wondering where I got the stuff on SatAM Season 3, here it is, courtesy of THE Sonic news source, SonicHQ (sonichq.org):  
  
"...Snively tries to retake control of Robotropolis, but ultimately fails. On the verge of losing it all to the Freedom Fighters, he turns to "The Void", where Naugus is busy torturing Robotnik (and having fun with it) ^__^. Snively frees Naugus, and in the process also frees Robotnik & King Acorn! Now, Naugus assumes control, and starts his new command by trying to lure Sally into capture with the King as bait. Robotnik becomes Naugus' lackey. And Snively, now reduced to a simpering nobody, defects to the Freedom Fighters. Ben went on later to say that more developments would have come along between the relationship of Sonic and Tails, coming a little closer to the game relationship it strayed so far away from. Sooner on down the line in possible future episodes we would have learned of the origins of Robotnik and Snively, and also come to see a whole new ballgame for the FF's... And THAT is what WOULD HAVE HAPPENED in the third season of the Sonic cartoon..."  
  
This is closer to canon than most stuff, so I chose to use it, with some obvious differences. Yes, I did have the Snively defecting stuff in my outlines, but took it out at the last minute, for continuity purposes, plus I needed SOMETHING about how Eggman comes back, lest the games get screwed up.  
  
Speaking of the games, next episode is the Sonic 2 adaptation, w00t! That's Sonic THE HEDGEHOG 2, the good ol' Sega Genesis game, for those of you old enough to remember. Yesiree, now that Tails is a bona-fide freedom fighter, its time for him to show his mettle when he and Sonic try to get all the Emeralds before Robotnik does! Yeah for Tails! (I love Tails, in case you couldn't tell ^_^)  
  
In other news, keep sending in those reviews. Got one from RamenNoodles not too long ago, so as per my word last chapter, we're now in talks for a cameo spot (and you thought I was joking about that, shame on you!).  
  
Till next time,  
  
-AE 


	14. 3239, Day 154 : CHAOS Part 1,Consolodate

03 /05 /04

_Antipode Echidna presents:_

**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**

Year 3239, Day 154

CHAOS, Part 1

Consolidate

_Disclaimer:_

Story (c) 2004 by the author, based on situations and elements created by Service Games (SEGA), DiC Productions, and Archie Publications.  Most characters based on personalities originally created by SEGA Interactive, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Publications, and modified by the author.  This is a work of fanfiction, meant only to entertain the readers and to contribute to the mythos of the source material.  The author in no way benefits financially from this work.

_Other characters in this chapter include:_

Jewel, Antipode, (c) Antipode Echidna (Adam Czech)

Ambre, (c) Ambre Wisniewski, used with permission.

Princess Sally Acorn's job never seemed to get any easier.  Even on the best days, it was still a pain in the neck.  The two most difficult professions in the world, at least in her opinion, were military commander and royal noble.  She was both.

     The squirrel leaned back in her chair, trying to rub the throbbing from her temples.  It had been another long day at the Knothole compound, even though it had barely begun.  Just looking at all the work she had yet to do was enough to bring on another headache.  From a civilian standpoint, all was still quiet.  Even though Doctor Robotnik had indeed emerged from obscurity once more, he was keeping his distance for the time being.  Nonetheless, her task list was getting gradually longer.

     She fought her hardest to overcome her weariness, and got a grip on her resolve.  Sally brought her head back up, releasing a long sigh.  She wanted no more then to return to bed, put off all her work until tomorrow, but she knew that couldn't be done.  That would be wasting time, and that would not be acceptable.

     She moved to tidy the pages and folders on her desk, hoping it would be symbolic enough to clear her own mind of its cobwebs.  Most of it was paperwork needing to be filed away, which reminded her of her tasks once more.  She groaned.  "Nicole?"

     The small, hand-held computer resting on her desktop blinked on, "waking" from its sleep mode.  |Yes, Sally,| it replied in its default voice set, a monotone rendition of Sally's own voice.

     Sally squeezed her eyes shut as she talked.  "What was I dumb enough to schedule for myself today?"

     The AI software made no attempt to acknowledge Sally's disrespect of herself, and simply focused on the question.  |Several tasks have been designated for today, the foremost being a communiqué to the freedom fighter cell groups.  The remainder is administrational duties regarding Knothole.|

     Sally sighed again.  At least the communication wouldn't be too difficult.  If nothing else, she was a master of language, and could write out a simple document in less time than it took for some to get dressed in the morning.  She straightened in her chair, bringing her hands forward and snapping all four knuckles on each before resting them on the computer keyboard.

     She smiled as the tingling in her fingers died.  If her father could see her doing that he would probably have a fit, rest his soul.  It was actually a habit she had picked up from Sonic, after he learned one day that she had never cracked her knuckles in her life.  It wasn't proper, she had replied, and something those of noble birth simply did not do.  After much badgering, he had gotten her to do it, and she had to admit, it had felt good.  Now she found herself doing it often, but in her office, never in public.

     The keys clacked pleasantly beneath her fingertips as she started a message that would be delivered to all the freedom fighter cells scattered around the remains of Robotropolis, the former capitol of the Kingdom of Acorn, her kingdom.  She could have easily had Nicole produce a text dictated from her voice, but it was better for her to type it herself, when she had the time.  She recalled an episode when, after relying solely on the many features her computer contained for only a week, she found herself rusty when executing the tasks herself.  She had decided afterwards that she would do the things herself, when at all possible.

     In a short period of time the communication was finished, and she quickly saved it to her computer's hard drive.  She leaned back as the data was written, reaching up to rake her fingers through her auburn hair.  Now all that was needed was to send it off to the comm network.  She checked her watch; the messenger should be heading off any minute now.  Who was designated for today?  She found it hard to remember the rotation schedule, especially now that they had started their field operations up again.

     She sent the message to the printer, grabbing the page from the tray as she headed for the door, adjusting the collar of her azure jacket with her free hand.  Now that Sally had administered a new schedule for the camp, it was again buzzing with activity.  They still received a constant stream of Mobians coming and going, which equalized just enough that they didn't have to build huts as often as before, in the wake of the Battle of Doomsday.  Those who decided to stay with them were assessed and placed in positions where they could contribute to their simple life, and to the cause in general, though the war was currently on hiatus.

     As she looked around Sally felt the need to stroll the grounds.  It was still morning -- technically, even though she had been up for some time now -- and the air was brisk.  She followed the sounds of voices and found herself in the small field east of the camp, where a small group of furs had congregated.  She quietly stood in back, returning the smiles and waving off the bows of the few who noticed her there.  She listened intently, as the meeting was some kind of lesson.

     "...No, ya gotta move more on tha left foot, see?"

     "Oh, okay.  Like this?"

     "Yeah, that's good.  Now bring out yer arm like this.  No, yer right arm."

     "Okay- ah.  That's a hard move."

     "Oh, you jus keep workin' on it, sugar, you'll get it.  Ever'body else see how he's got it?  I want ya'll to work on that today, fer at least ten minutes.  We're gonna practice that tomorrow.  All right, ya'll can go now, we're done."

     Sally stood to the side as the crowd dispersed, leaving to each of their separate homes to practice their assignment.  She watched them go, then came forward, smiling.  "You sure got them hopping."

     Georgia returned the smile, reaching up to bat the hair from her eyes as she took a seat on the log behind her.  "They better be hoppin'.  They wanna be in my class, they're gonna hafta work a little."

     "You are a great teacher, Bunnie," she replied, using the nickname only her friends were allowed to call her.  She sat beside her friend, noticing that beneath her denim cutoffs the muscles in the rabbit's legs were forming strongly, as well the ones in her arms.  "How have you been doing?  It's almost been a year and a half now."

     The other nodded, blinking.  "I've been gettin' better.  I feel stronger, that's fer sure, but Bookshire says I still got a ways to go on the eye.  Still can't quite focus it right."

     Sally nodded.  Georgia was only nineteen years old, almost a full year younger than she.  Their birthdays were barely a week apart, one of the reasons they had become fast friends growing up together in Old Mobitropolis, before the takeover.  She was still recovering from the effects of her deroboticization, saving her from the partial robotic conversion that had controlled her life every day for nearly three years.  She was just now getting back to an active lifestyle, taking up teaching a group of new initiates some physical coordination and discipline exercises.  She also had developed her own rehabilitation program, which she followed every day, to the letter, with Doctor Bookshire Draftwood's blessing.

     "An' how bout you, Sally-girl?" Georgia asked, gently prodding.  "How've you been holdin' up?"

     "Okay, I suppose," she breathed deeply.  "It's hard... running a small city in the middle of nowhere."

     The princess managed a smile, which her friend returned.  "An' you're doin' it great, too, don't worry about it," Georgia wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  "Everybody here looks up to you, Sally.  You're our leader, we're all proud-a you for bringin' us through this far."

     She felt Sally sigh.  "Thanks, Bunnie.  Sometimes I don't feel like that great of a leader, though.  Just think of all of the... _mistakes_ I've made in the past..."

     She shook her head.  "Don't think about the mistakes!  Think about all the accomplishments you've had: you rallied the freedom fighters together, kept the kingdom of Acorn alive and kickin' at Knothole, rebuilt the comm network after Robotnik brought it down..."

     Sally pondered each of the events in her mind as Georgia ran through them.  She was right, there were a lot of things that she had helped bring about in the past fifteen years.  "I know.  It just seems that all of the feats in the world can't bring us any closer to where we want to be."

     Sally placed her hands on her knees and got to her feet.  "Speaking of the comm network," she said, reaching up to rub her neck, "I wonder how Sonic's doing."

     "Oh, ol' sugar-hog can take care of himself," Georgia chuckled.  "Sides, Tails went with 'im, right?"

     "Right," Sally nodded.  "I just hope he doesn't do something... stupid."

                           -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

"_Yeeeee-ha!_"

     Sonic's whoops of joy were just loud enough to carry of the roar of the engine and the rush of the wind.  The world around them was spinning, faster and faster, melting together into speed-mottled streaks of color.  Then with one sudden lurch of gravity everything turned blue and he was thrown back in his seat.

     The horizon eventually returned to where it was supposed to be, and the hedgehog let out the breath he had been holding.  "How was that?" came the young voice from the front seat.

     "Off tha hook, Li'l Bro!" he shouted back, almost tasting the adrenaline in his system.  "This sucker can really move!"

     Eleven-year-old Mils "Tails" Prower nodded, blinking behind the lenses of the aviation goggled strapped on his head.  "The _Tornado_ was built for speed, Sonic," he replied, then chuckled.  "I thought you of all people would appreciate that."

     "And, boy, do I!  This thing can blow outta the water anything ol' Doc Eggman can throw at us!"

     Tails frowned.  "I don't know about that.  Fly circles, maybe, but there's no way she can stand up to a straight-on attack."

     Sonic smiled.  Tails sure knew his airplanes; he probably knew more than everyone else at Knothole put together.  Sure, he was young, but age wasn't necessarily an indicator of skill, especially in the middle of a war.  The hedgehog turned his head to look out over the wings of the biplane, seeing the sunlight reflecting off its fresh, blue paintjob.  Tails probably knew everything about the _Tornado_, and with good reason: he had spent every spare moment of his life for the past year building it, scratch from the ground up.

     He had tested, tested, and re-tested every piece of mechanics in the vehicle, too, up until the body was completed only a couple of weeks prior.  _Tornado_ was the young fox's pet project, the first thing he built all on his own.  Everyone was amazed at the kit's perseverance regarding the construction of the plane, and everyone had long waiting for the day it was finished, and the very first test flight was executed.  Now they were putting _Tornado_ through its paces, pushing everything to the limit to see how well it performed.

     Sonic looked down at the trees of the Great Forest whizzing by below them.  "How fast can this thing go, Tails?"

     The kid shrugged.  "Pretty fast.  Heh, faster than you!"

     He made a noise of mock indignation.  "Well, I figured that!"

     Tails leaned into the control stick, taking _Tornado_ into a slow-spinning dive toward the trees.  He eased back shortly after, though, leveling off closer to the treetops.  The green streaks of the branches flashed past beneath the wings, and he opened up the throttle a little more, pushing the single-prop plane faster.  "How's she feel from back there, Sonic?"

     "Feels great, bro!  How's she handling?"

     "Hmm," Tails concentrated, eyes half-closing as he listened to the hum of the airplane around him.  "It's great.  It doesn't stick anymore, like it used to.  I think _Tornado_'s finally broken in!"

     "Awesome!" Sonic shouted.  "Hey, let's head over to Emerald Hill, we can do that stuff Rotor told us to."

     Tails looked back over his shoulder at him.  "What stuff?  Oh, the power adapters for the Chaos Emeralds?"

     "Yeah," Sonic nodded.  "He still doesn't have them figured out.  He said maybe we could find something in the old monastery that he could use."

     "All right," he smiled, turning back to grip the control stick.  "Hold on, we'll be there in a minute!"

     Tails pulled the stick back and to the left, and _Tornado_ responded by turning into a climb and heading for the hilly clearing hidden in the midst of the Great Forest.  The g-forces pushing Sonic into his chair during the maneuver were amazing; the plane had some power behind her, and the kid wasn't afraid to use it in the least.  He could feel it when he evened the plane level again, now on a new heading that would take them to the Emerald Hill monastery.

     In only moments the plane was diving again, dipping below the tree line and skidding its wheels gently on the ground.  Tails slowed the plane to a stop, but Sonic had jumped out of the open-air cockpit as fast he could, heading for the stone arches embedded in the hillside.  "Sonic, wait up!" the kid called after him.  "I've gotta shut the plane down first!"

     "Hurry up, Tails!" Sonic shouted back over his shoulder, slowing but not stopping entirely.  He looked up at the place, remembering what had transpired there three years ago, how Robotnik had somehow gotten someone on the inside to let his army of robots in, destroying or killing everything in the facility.  Emerald Hill used to be part of the freedom fighters' communications network, and its loss nearly brought them to their knees.  Luckily, they had managed to save most of the network, but Cornelius and the others who had been here hadn't had a chance.

     Sonic sighed.  Now the place was empty, except for the machinery in the lowermost levels, which the "badnik" attack bots hadn't gotten to.  That was what they had come to get.  He stepped up to the stone facade, leaning in to look around and smelling the musty, dank air inside.

     "You forgot this."

     Sonic turned to see Tails standing behind him, outstretched hand holding a supply back out to him.  "Oh.  Thanks, Bro," he took it and swung it on.

     The kid rolled his eyes.  "Whatever.  How far inside is the Emerald chamber, anyway?" he asked, peering inside the darkness beyond the threshold, his twin tails twitching reflexively.

     "Not too far, actually.  It's more of a maze, though, and it seems longer than it is.  But don't worry," he reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a piece of paper, "we got a map."

     Tails nodded, then followed Sonic as he entered the catacombs, torch burning in one hand, map in the other.  The kid looked around at the walls of the passages as they passed, noticing the carvings and etchings that must have been made centuries ago.  Through the fortress they continued, taking so many twists and turns that young Tails lost all sense of direction.  After a long while Sonic finally found the flight of stairs that took them to the next level down.

     As they descended Tails could smell the air getting even mustier, and an acrid scent invaded his nostrils, something he had never smelled before.  As he came down off the steps and looked around, he could tell something bad had happened there.  There was a large hole broken on one wall, and dark smudges and smears marred the floors.  He looked up at Sonic for some kind of explanation, but the hedgehog kept walking, keeping his head high.

     What Sonic didn't want to tell the kid were the details of what happened at the place, how Robotnik's attack bots had killed everyone inside the facility.  He was now thankful that Sally had insisted on sending a "clean up crew" of sorts shortly after the incident occurred.  Tails didn't need to see things like that, not at his young age.

     The sublevel was laid out much more straightforwardly than the one above, and they reached the large double doors leading to what the maps called the "generator room."  The door had never been forced shut since Sonic had opened it during his first trip here, and dust had begun to settle in the grooves separating the chamber from the hallway.  He stepped inside, Tails closely behind, still looking wide-eyed at his surroundings.  He strode purposefully to the pedestal in the center of the room, the former receptacle of Emerald Hill's Chaos Emerald.  Now that he was paying more attention he noticed the sheer complexity of the machinery surrounding it, and really had no idea what any of it was for.

     Tails, however, did.  With his usual childlike enthusiasm he trotted forward, crouching down at the base of the small pillar and proceeding to analyze.  "Wow... this is pretty old stuff."

     "Do you know what any of it does, Li'l Bro?" Sonic asked, bending forward and positioning the torch to give him ample light.

     "I think so," he replied.  "This is... heh, whoa.  If Rotor could see this he would totally bust out laughing!  This machinery is probably older than you, Sonic.  Rotor's gonna kick himself so bad when he sees the kinda stuff they had powering their base."

     "Any idea what stuff is important, and how we can bring it back to Knothole?"

     "Yeah, no problem," he looked up at him.  "How much of it do you wanna bring back?"

     "Whatever we can fit in the back of the _Tornado_, buddy.  Rotor wants as much of this stuff as he can get."

     Tails chuckled as he stood.  "It's kinda silly, though, since he's gonna have to upgrade all of this anyway.  It'd almost be better to start from scratch."

     Sonic grinned.  "How fast do ya think we can take this thing apart, though?"

     Tails "thought" about it for a moment.  "Hmmm, don't know, Sonic.  How fast _do_ you think we can do it?"

     The hedgehog got on his knees beside the hardware, cracking his knuckles.  "You just tell me how this stuff goes together, and it won't be together for long."

     Tails talked as Sonic worked, and together they were able to disassemble most of the machinery in the room in just under an hour.  They took several trips back and forth to the _Tornado_, stowing everything away and strapping it down in the hold.  As Tails reached up to shut the door, Sonic took a look back toward the hill, his mind going back and forth between the Chaos Emeralds in his backpack and all the trouble he had to go through to get them three years ago.

     "Sonic?" Tails' young voice broke him from his reverie.  "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

     "Somethin'..." he answered distractedly.  "Hey, bro, how long does it take to warm up the _Tornado_?"

     The kid shrugged.  "Bout five minutes, why?"

     "Need to make a call," Sonic answered, walking a distance from the plane as Tails started the engine.  He brought his radio from his pocket and keyed it to Knothole's frequency.  "Anybody there?"

     Rotor's deep voice came back.  "Right here, Sonic, what do you need?"

     "Is Sally there?"

     "Yeah, hold on a sec."

     There was a rustling, then a period of silence, before Princess Sally's voice came over the speaker.  "Yes, Sonic?"

     "Oh, man, it's good to hear your voice again, Sal."

     Sally chuckled.  "Sonic, you've been gone for an hour.  Tell me what you need or I'm hanging up."

     "A'right, a'right.  Do you have a list of all the old monasteries around here?  Ya know, where there might be more of those Emerald thingies?"

     "Maybe," she hummed.  "They could be in my father's old records; I haven't had a chance to go through them all, so it's a possibility.  Why, what are you thinking?"

     "Eh, no reason," he shrugged, even though she couldn't see it.  "I was just thinkin' that if Rote gets these babies figured out, we may need to find out where more of them are, that's all."

     "That is good thinking.  We'll talk about it when you get back to Knothole."

     "Okay.  Catch ya later, babe."

     She smiled.  "Good bye, Sonic."

                           -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

_"Again!"_

     He rushed forward at the command, blade held ready.  His blows were sure and swift, but not quick enough to avoid being parried by his opponent.  The sharp ringing of metal on metal sounded each time their weapons met, filling the clearing with the sounds of warfare.  His steel came down again, and again, and again, each time on a slightly different target, hoping to break through his defenses.  After nearly a dozen attempts, however, it was becoming more obvious that it was not going to happen.

     He sighed, inwardly just before outwardly, then stepped back and lowered his sword to his side.  His sparring partner stayed with his defenses raised, still locking eyes with him.  "Why did you stop?"

     "Cuz I wasn't getting anywhere," the other sighed.  "What's the point?  You're still faster than me."

     Antoine de Coolette slid his rapier back into its sheath.  "You're just not working hard enough, Antipode.  You're starting to think less about what you are doing."

     The echidna sat on a fallen trunk at the side of the clearing.  "Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a swordsman.  It's too much... discipline."

     Antoine nodded.  "Oui, discipline is needed.  But it also takes determination, and I believe you have that.  You have the... ferocity inside.  You just need to harness that, make it work for you."

     Antipode chuckled.  "Well, right now, I've got nothing left inside, Antoine.  Maybe we could do this some more later, huh?"

     He inclined his head toward him.  "As you wish, mon ami.  I am heading back to camp.  I will see you there."

     "All right, see ya."

     The coyote snatched his pack from the ground and started on the path that would take him back to Knothole Village.  Antipode watched him go, then let out a long sigh and stared at the ground.  He had been training a lot with the elder freedom fighter almost every day since joining the camp a year ago.  Some days he felt like he was making progress, but today was not one of those.

     Antipode groaned loudly and rolled onto his back.  He and Antoine had been working out for the past hour or so, and every one of his muscles ached.  He stared up at the sky and the clouds floating lazily by.  Maybe he would just lay here for a while, before he went back to camp.  He really didn't have anything to do there, anyway.

     He took a few deep breaths, then opened his eyes and sat up.  "Time waits for no man," the old adage ran through his head, and he frowned.  Sometimes he wished it would, then he could get some rest.

     "C'mon, echidna," he groaned again, lifting himself wearily to his feet.  "Time to get to work."

     He went over to pick his pack and his katana off the ground, looking around idly while he slipped it on.  He liked the woods, liked it even more now that he lived in it.  As a kid he didn't spend a whole lot of time in the forests, for a variety of reasons, one being he lived in the dust bowl.  Now that he had the chance he often came out here, just to sit and look around.

     The sharp snapping of a branch caught his attention.  Antipode looked into the trees around the clearing, trying to detect whatever made the sound.  It could just be a woodland animal, he figured, but something told him it wasn't.

     He took a few steps forward, slowly; whatever it was, he didn't want to scare it away.  "Hello?" he called out quietly.  "Somebody there?"

     Another snap, this one farther away; he still didn't see anything.  "Do you need help?" he called again.  He didn't know of any settlements near Knothole.  "Are you lost?"

     Then he heard footsteps, rapidly moving away from the clearing.  "Wait!" Antipode shouted, then broke through the trees.  Apart from his weapons training with Antoine he had undergone the basic freedom fighter survival regimen, which included forest tracking and speed trials through the woods.  He tried to make out where the person was, then started running, vaulting over fallen tree trunks and protruding roots.  His target was obviously unaccustomed to the woods, and the sounds of their footfalls made it seem like they were injured as well.

     Antipode quickly closed the gap between them, almost being able to see them through the trees.  It was a woman, a feline about his height; her left leg was injured, and she was limping.  She obviously noticed he was coming, and tried to go faster, tripping over one of the thicker roots and hitting the ground.

     He approached slowly, still not knowing what was going on.  "Are you okay?  Do you need help?"

     She laid staring at the ground, breathing heavily.  She was wearing an old, dirty poncho around her shoulders, over some kind of dark bodysuit.  When she finally pushed herself out of the dirt, her dark strands of hair fell before her face, and he could see her piercing green eyes looking up at him with a mixture of fear and anxiety.

     The woman didn't move for several moments, and Antipode bent down, offering her a hand, smiling.  She stared at his leather glove for a while, then hesitantly, almost reluctantly, reached up her hand to grab a hold.  He pulled her to her feet, paying mind to her bad ankle, or whatever the case may have been.  "Do you need a doctor?" Antipode kept talking.  "There's one not too far away."  _Oh, please understand English..._

     She blinked her green eyes, as if the question had to compute itself in her mind.  "Yes..." she finally said.  "Perhaps I do."

     Antipode gestured back to the clearing.  "It's just this way.  Do you need... any help?  Is your leg okay?"

     "Maybe you'd bette' give me a hand," she managed a chuckle, after testing her ankle and finding it worse than before.

     He came over to help her, idly labeling her accent as possibly British.  "What happened?  Why are you all the way out here?"

     "I'm looking for... something.  Something a friend told me about."  She chuckled again.  "Honestly, it's been so long, I forgot what it was."

     "Hmm.  Well, they can help you out at Knothole, with whatever it is.  Princess Sally is cool about that."

     The cat's ears pricked up.  "Princess Sally... Acorn?"

     "Yeah!  You've heard of her?"

     "I think so...  I'm not quite sure, I...  My friend may have told me about her."

     "Heh, well I wouldn't be surprised.  She's pretty well known.  How long have you been around here?"

     "A few years... maybe longer."

     They emerged into the clearing, and Antipode located the path back to Knothole.  "It's just over half a kilometer, this way."

                           -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

"Hey, Sonic?"

     He took a deep breath and sighed, reveling in the feeling of the wind through his spines.  Sonic loved speed, and being in the _Tornado_ was by far one of the fastest experiences of his life.  Someday he would have to get Tails to teach him how to fly it, then he could get away every once and a while and have a little fun.

     "Hey, Sonic!"

     The hedgehog snapped his eyes open.  "Whaddya need, Li'l Bro?"

     "Check it out," Tails pointed off the nose of the plane.  "What's that thing?"

     "Whoa," Sonic sat up straighter in his seat.  "Hey, I think that's Egghead's bot carrier!"

     "Really?  Ya wanna go check it out?"

     "I dunno... we should kinda get back to Knothole," Sonic paused.  "Eh, that can wait.  Let's go see what the fat man's up to."

     "Aye, aye!" Tails shouted and swung the plane to the new heading.  As they got closer he pushed the plane into a dive, so it was nearly skimming the ground, an attempt to keep below whatever radar the carrier might have had.  It was docked, it looked like, next to a large manufacturing plant on the shore of the ocean.

     "Eggman's got plants this far away from Robotropolis?"

     "Yeah, and it looks like they're still workin', too," Tails replied.  "We'll put down over there, and check it out."

     The kit set down as close to the base of the factory as he could manage, then quickly shut down the plane and followed Sonic inside.  Robotnik got no marks for subtlety in designing the place.  It was basically one large room that they could see, lined everywhere with pipes, pumps, and drainage basins.  Sonic approached a guardrail and looked down, seeing huge vats of bubbling liquids, constantly being poured into and out of by the various equipment.

     "No wonder it stinks in here," he commented dryly.  "Bubble-butt's makin' chemicals for something."

     Tails peeked over the rail to see for himself.  "A lot of it, too."  He looked up at Sonic.  "What for?  He doesn't have his SWATbots anymore."

     The hedgehog frowned.  "Don't know, Bro...  But what say we find out, huh?  There's gotta be a computer around here somewhere; if we find it, you think you can hack into it?"

     Tails smirked mischievously.  "Does Robotnik's mustache looks like it's about to fly south for the winter?"

     "Heh, good one.  C'mon."

     Tails followed Sonic on the catwalk that wound around the factory, finding it to be more than the one room he thought at first.  That one was basically a cell, and there were several other cells connected to it, via corridors and passages.  Another maze.

     After passing through a few of the passages, Sonic got lost.  He slowed to a stop, looking around aimlessly.  "Shoot."

     Tails stepped up to the guardrail, peering down at the chemical vats beneath them.  There were all interconnected, and flowing...  "Hey, Sonic?"

     The hedgehog stopped rubbing his forehead.  "Yeah?"

     "I think..." he pointed.  "Look at the stuff, it's goin' that way.  Maybe that's where the main processing machine is?"

     "It's worth a shot," he shrugged.  "Let's try goin' that way then."

     Sonic turned back to the corridor, then stopped.  There was a bot in the doorway, and it didn't look too happy to see them.  It was short, but heavily-built; it sat on two large wheels in the back, and had two very sharp-looking objects built into its forearms.

     Tails' eyes widened.  "S-Sonic?"

     "Hold still, Tails," he held his arm in front of the kit to keep him from moving forward.  "Maybe it won't care that we're here."

     It did.  As soon as Sonic talked it turned straight for the two, and with a revving sound slowly crept forward.  Sonic glared as he watched it; the bot seemed to be observing them.  He continued to watch it as he whispered, "Bro, when I run, make a break for that hallway over there, kay?"

     "Um, okay.  But what if-"

     "NOW!"

     Sonic bolted forward toward the guard bot, and it responded by screeching forward, tires spinning on the catwalk.  The hedgehog tried to judge the robot's height, then when he was close enough he leapt, his sneakers hitting lightly on the bot's metal shell.  It did no damage, but he quickly jumped off onto the other side and kept running.  "Go, Tails, go!"  
     The kit started running faster, now for dear life.  Sonic started sprinting, but Tails couldn't keep up, so he slowed down enough that the kid was slightly in front of him.  "Sonic, where are we going!"

     The guard bot had already spun around and was accelerating toward them.  Sonic looked, but couldn't see anywhere to go.  "Just get to the control room!  I'll distract him!"

     Tails did as he was told.  Sonic stopped and spun around.  "Ya wanna play, bot-ugly?  Come get some!"

     The guard bot refocused on his target and came down to bear.  Sonic kept running, getting close enough to Tails that he could hear him.  "Bro, we're splitting up!  Find that control room an' I'll meet ya there!"

     "But, Sonic!"

     Too late.  He had taken another route down the catwalk, luring the bot away.  He kept going; the control room had to be around somewhere.

     Sonic ran at full speed now, knowing there was no way the bot could catch him, as long as he kept his mind on what he was doing.  Now he was grateful the chemical plant had been built like such a maze; it made it easier for him to be unpredictable when choosing a direction to go.  He led the guard bot around the factory, essentially in circles, making a game out of it almost by seeing how many times he could take a given route before the bot's AI could predict him accurately.

     And, of course, he took every opportunity to show off, if only for himself.  He constantly laughed at his pursuer as they raced through the factory, a couple of times the bot getting close enough that it would lash out with its spikes, forcing Sonic to dodge.  It never hit him, though, and he would return to running, playing with it, leading it on.  After a while, though, he got bored.

      Sonic skidded to a stop and leaned against the guardrail of a catwalk, feigning a yawn.  "Sorry, bot-for-brains, but I'm gettin' tired of this.  See ya!"

     The bot headed straight for him, which proved the limit of it's intelligence.  Sonic leapt over the top of it's domed shell again, to land softly on the other side.  And the bot, unable to stop itself in time, ripped through the metal rail and toppled down, down into the bubbling vats of chemicals below.

     Sonic looked down as it spun it's wheels, slowly sinking to the bottom and getting swept away by the artificial current.  "Sweet dreams," he grinned and started off to find Tails.

     Without any delays now, Sonic found the control room door easily; in fact, it was the only door in the factory.  He opened it and slipped in.  The room inside was dark, since the lights were off, except for the glowing of a monitor in a corner.  He came over.  "Tails?"

     The fox was almost too preoccupied with typing into the console's keyboard to answer him.  "Yeah?"

     "You found it, I guess."

     "Uh-huh."

     "Find anything out?"

     "Not really...  What was that thing outside, anyway?"

     Sonic shrugged.  "I don't know; maybe it was one of Egghead's new playthings, what he's using all the gunk in this place for."

     "Hmm," Tails hummed to himself, continuing to type.  He got so engrossed in his work sometimes, he almost seemed detached, like he was too busy staring at the screen to even pay attention to anything else.  He definitely took more after Rotor than Sonic in that respect.

     "This might be something...  It's a radioactivity scale, I thought maybe the crap they're makin' is givin' off some bad stuff.  But this is actually a scan of the ocean nearby."  He looked up at Sonic.  "There's something out there, and guess what it looks like?"

     Sonic thought a second, then smiled.  "Chaos Emeralds?"

     "At least one.  Maybe Eggman hasn't gotten them yet, and we can pick 'em up first."

     "Suh-weet!  Let's go get 'em then!  How far out are they, Bro?"

     "Not that far," Tails shook his head.  "Actually, one of the factory's drainage basins empties out pretty close to that.  Up for a swim?"

     Sonic immediately got nervous.  "You know I don't swim very well, Tails.  Especially not through Robotnik's chemical muck."

     "Oh, c'mon!  Not even for a Chaos Emerald or two?"

     The hedgehog moaned pitifully.  "No other way we can do it?"

     Tails hopped off the chair and looked around the room.  "I thought I saw... oh, nifty, here they are."  He held up a large yellow rubber suit.  "How bout a chemic suit, Sonic?  Would that help?"

     "Er, a little, I guess."  He sighed.  "Fine, lay it on me."

     The fox gave a little laugh as he came over, helping Sonic into the protective gear, which was slightly too big on him.  It was designed to be worn in emergency situations, and so was fully waterproof and had an air tank strapped to the back.  He made sure it was sealed right, and that the air hoses were working properly.  "This thing's got a radio in it, too, Sonic.  I'll key it to a frequency so I can help you out from up here."

     "You're not coming with?" Sonic asked, his voice muffled by the mask covering his face.

     "Sorry, but there aren't any my size.  'Sides, I'd be more help up here, anyway."

     "If you say so..." he grumped.  "So, how do I get to the drainage bin thing?"

     "Um... well, just find a railing and jump in.  All the juice is going somewhere, and it's gotta be dumped at some point, right?"

     "But you said there was a processing thing somewhere, too, didn't you?  I don't wanna be 'processed' nuthin, Bro."

     "Oh, chill out.  Just jump in, I'll help you through it.  There's gotta be a schem of the machinery somewhere in the database, and I betcha I can find it before you get lost."

     Sonic chuckled nervously.  "I dunno, I get lost pretty quick."

     "Heh, I noticed.  Okay, you're set.  Get goin."

     Sonic exited back to the main area of the factory, feeling like a complete moron moving around in the suit.  _I must look like a freakin' banana or something,_ he thought dryly to himself, thankful there was no one else in the seemingly automated facility.  He found a guardrail and looked down, staring at the bubbling mess of chemicals swirling in the vat below him.  He almost retched.

     "Sonic, you there?"

     "Yeah, I'm here, Bro."

     "Good, the radio's workin'.  Um, just jump in, it's pretty straightforward, actually.  Just keep on the left path all the time, and it should lead to the spillway."

     "Okay," Sonic sighed.  "Here I go."

     He squeezed his eyes as he tipped himself forward and over the railing, feeling himself falling down and impacting through the surface of the vat.  He blinked his eyes open, barely able to see anything from the bubbles that seemed to float suspended in the green fluid.  He tried to upright himself, and his feet hit the ground.

     "Doin' okay?"

     "Yeah, I'm still alive, anyway.  Follow the current and take every left, right?"

     "No, not 'right,' 'left.'  Call me when you hit the ocean, I'll let you know where the signals are coming from."

     Sonic started forward, slowly from the bulk of his equipment and the fact that he was moving underwater.  He followed Tails' directions, and after what seemed like forever he found himself pulled against his will with the current, which had gradually been getting stronger as he progressed.  He was poured out through a pipe and through another chamber, which emptied out into the wide ocean.

     Here the green chemical fluid was mixing in a cloud and dissipating into the otherwise clear ocean water.  _Robotnik's pollution strikes again,_ Sonic thought.  _Maybe we should blow the place up when we're done here.  Tails could probably figure out some way to do it._

     "Okay, Little Bro.  Lead the way."

     "All right... a little bit to your left, just a little.  Keep walking, you'll trip over it in a couple steps."

     Sonic took one step forward, then realized he tasted moisture on his lips, not from sweat or saliva, but from his breathing tube.  He tried to look and see, but couldn't make out anything.  "Um, Tails, I think my air tube is leaking.  It musta gotten nicked when the pipe spit me out."

     "Are you sure?"

     Now he could see a constant trickle of seawater pouring in through his tube.  "Yeah... yeah, pretty sure now."

     "Forget about the Emeralds, Sonic.  If that suit fills up with water, you're gonna drown.  Just get up to the surface, we'll get you out and go home."  
     Sonic stopped and stared.  There, at the bottom of an embankment before him, the light was reflecting off an object half-buried in the silt at the ocean floor.  He recognized it immediately.  "Sorry, Tails, did you say 'go for it?'  I think my radio's failing.  I'll be up when I get the Emeralds, a'right?"

     Without waiting for a reply, Sonic found the catch on his helmet.  He took a deep breath and released it, instantly breaking the seal and ripping it off his head, letting the ocean pour in on his face.  He let it drift away as he worked at the catches on the rest of his suit, peeling off the large air tank and freeing himself from the weight.

     Now not held down by any equipment, he started down the hill toward his prize.  True, he couldn't swim very well, so he managed by walking along slowly on the ocean floor.  As he descended, though, the pressure around him started building, until Sonic thought his ears were going to pop.  But there were the Emeralds, right there!  He couldn't stop, not this close.

     Oh, wouldn't Tails and Sally be surprised to see he got an Emerald back for Knothole!  He would definitely have a story to tell everyone back home.  He took another step, another step.  Now he was running out of air, and his lungs started to hurt.  Sonic reached out for the object in the sand, he was almost there, just a little closer.  He was feeling lightheaded, but that wouldn't stop him.

     _Just a little closer..._

     Sonic blacked out.

                           -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

"Argh.  How much farther, huh?"

     "Not too far, I hope."

     "You _hope_?"

     "Well, I don't know for sure.  Everything looks different in the dark.  And it has been a while since I've been to Knothole, ya know."

     "Dangit, girl, the bot-chick's heavy!"

     "I know, Ran, just keep it up for a little while.  We're almost there."

     "Yeah, that's what you said an hour ago, Ambre."

     "And I'm gonna _keep_ sayin' it until you stop complaining!"

     "Geez, fine..."

     Ambre narrowed her eyes and turned back to the path ahead.  Despite being able to see in the dark -- one of the many advantages to being of the feline persuasion -- she still found it somewhat hard to navigate the maze of paths the freedom fighters had built around their base.  They had received Princess Acorn's message at their outpost that morning, and had set off on the long trek between the bases.  Just before the pivotal battle of Doomsday a large part of their cell had been wiped out in an attack; she herself had sustained major injuries, and she was one of the lucky ones.  They had come out of it devoid of any of their higher-ranking officers, so she had assumed command.  Their group was dwindling, and recognized Sally's offer of assistance, not hesitating to accept.

     Behind her, Ran grunted.  He was a large, dark-furred bear; small for his kind, but still a head taller than her.  He lumbered along behind her, the young girl in his arms sleeping peacefully.  At least, that's what it would look like to a casual observer.  Intrinsically, she was the reason they were making the long journey.  She had been one of the victims at the assault, but by some twist of fate she had not been killed like the others.  She had been injected with some kind of serum, that had turned her skin to a metal shell.  Their doctor had been able to cease the process just before it had finished -- in fact, he had said, if it would have completed the results would have caused permanent damage -- but she had been in a coma for the past several months.  Princess Acorn had said that they had a way to reverse the process, hopefully it would work on her.

     They rounded a corner in the path, and Ambre was nearly ecstatic to see the soft flickering of torches' glow.  She ran forward ahead of her partner, calling out into the camp, "Hello!  Is anyone still up?  I need a doctor!"

     A door to one of the huts opened, and someone came out to them.  "Hey, over here!  What's the problem?"

     Ambre walked over to him.  "Are you the doctor?"

     The echidna motioned over his shoulder.  "No, the doc turned in already.  What's the deal?"

     Ambre gestured to the girl in Ran's arms.  "She got... changed, by Robotnik.  We were told you could help us."

     Antipode's eyes widened.  "Whoa, haven't seen that in a while, actually.  I hope Rotor's still got the deroboticizor working.  Um, yeah, I'll go wake up BD.  Hold on."

     He went off into an adjacent hut, his voice barely audible as he addressed someone inside.  A moment later, he exited, heading for another hut across the compound.  An elderly raccoon came over to Ambre and Ran, limping against a cane.  "What's this about now?"

     Ambre told him.  "Oh, dear.  How long has she been like this?  Yes, Antipode just went to wake up Rotor, he should have the deroboticizor online within half an hour.  We'll get this straightened out."

     Ambre nodded.  "Thank you.  We wouldn't have tried making it here if it weren't for the chance you can help her."  She looked down at the hedgehog girl, running a hand through what little hair was visible on her metallic scalp.  "Don't worry...  We'll get through this... Amy."

                           **END OF CHAPTER**

MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Changes to Come

So, I took some time off from writing the fic to do a little studying, reading some other fics on FF.n (really good ones, which are rare), and some of my old material, to kind of refresh my mind to get me pumped up and ready to go on this, which ushers in "Season 2" of sorts in the FFoM uber-fic.

You may have noticed some changes in this chapter, the first being my narrative style.  Before this Sonic fic, I was working on a Star Wars fanfic, written in a more novel-length descriptive style, which I had fought long and hard to cultivate.  The fic was never finished (what little I do have is up on FF.n, "Star Wars: Dark Visage") but going back through it I was almost bowled over by how well-written it was.  I decided to start using that style on here, hopefully the chapters won't get too bogged down.  Let me know what you thought of that when you review.  Which you will, because you love me ^_^

Another thing is the HTML FORMATTING!  w00!  I finally decided to start putting in actual formatting, to see how it looked.  Comment on that, too, if ya want.

Last thing: I got a (somewhat strange) review from an individual by the name of "hopelightfaith," whom I assume has read through the whole story, since the review was stapled to chapter 13.  Thank you for the review, although you did do more suggesting than review.  Here's the statement made, in its entirety:

hopelightfaith

_2004-02-09_

_Chapter 13_

_Anonymous_

Hey if you like Tails maby you should include some of the stuff that the archie comics did with the "chosen one" with Tails. I know some people dont like archie however it provides many story oprotunities, adds to Tail's character, and if you actually do something with (and not just drop it for 20 comics or so like archie did) then people wouldnt mind it because I think it was one of archie's better ideas. Keep up the good work!

Now, I do thank you for your review, don't get me wrong.  But, I do have a counterpoint to this.  (I was going to email this to you, by the way, but couldn't find your contact information, so its going here.)  First, I have the entire series planned out already... seriously.  All thirty chapters have their plot bunnies written down, and need only to be outlined.  The "chosen one" stuff from Archie is not going in, since I want to focus more on the canon material (all that's left is the games and SonicX).  Also, while I have great respect for the work they put into it, I look down upon the Archie Sonic comics.  Perhaps its my dislike with American comic books in general (give me a good manga any day ^_^) but I found them to be extremely shallow, and not engaging at all, the way a story should be.  Also, I don't know if anyone noticed this at all, but I'm trying to move away from the whole "special powers" outlook of Sonic entirely.  True, Sonic still goes fast, but he can't break the sound barrier just by running.  Tails, although he retains his trademark appendages, cannot fly like a helicopter, nor will he ever be able to.  I think this does make this story more realistic, as people (even in real life) are not defined by their characteristics, but their skills.  The Chaos Emeralds still do what they do, but as you can see there as well, I've taken a scientific road to that, too.

Anyway, I hope this clears up some things, hopelightfaith, and I do hope you keep reading.  (Please email or AIM me, I'd love to talk to you some more ^_^)  That's all for me, I've gotta go get to work on part 2 o' this piece of work.

Ja ne, ya'll,

-AE


	15. 3239, Day 155 : CHAOS Part 2, Conversion

04 /27 /04

_Antipode Evangel presents:_

**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**

Year 3239, Day 155

CHAOS, Part 2

Conversion

_Disclaimer:_

Story (c) 2004 by the author, based on situations and elements created by Service Games (SEGA), DiC Productions, and Archie Publications.  Most characters based on personalities originally created by SEGA Interactive, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Publications, and modified by the author.  This is a work of fanfiction, meant only to entertain the readers and to contribute to the mythos of the source material.  The author in no way benefits financially from this work.

_Other characters in this chapter include:_

Jewel, Antipode and Zane (c) Antipode (Adam Czech)

Ambre, (c) Ambre Wisniewski, used with permission.

_Bee-beep...  Bee-beep...  Bee-beep..._

     What was that?  Something beeping...

     _Bee-beep..._

     Where am I?  And why do I feel like crap?

     _Bee-beep..._

     Must open eyes...

     _Bee-beep..._

     "Sonic?"

     _Bee-beep..._

     "Hey!  He's wakin' up!  Get the doc!"

     _Bee-beep..._

     Tails?  Is that you?

     _Bee-beep..._

     "What's this?  He's coming to?"

     Oh, great.  More voices.

     _Bee-beep..._

     "Here, this will make him wake up."

     _Bee-beep..._

     STINK.

     "Whoa!" Sonic snapped his eyes open and tried to sit up.  He immediately felt light-headed and was helped back down by the man beside the bed.  "What was," he coughed.  "What was that stuff?"

     Tails handed the smelling salts back to the doctor.  "You jerk!  What's the big idea, freakin' me out like that, huh?"

     "Like... what?" Sonic tried to talk around his headache.

     Tails crossed his arms and started tapping his foot on the floor.  "Why didn't you come back when you said the tube had a hole in it?"

     Now the hedgehog understood, and a glimmer of a smile tugged at his mouth.  "Sorry, buddy, but I saw the Emeralds down there and I had to get 'em."

     Tails rolled his eyes.  "Right.  An' you almost died trying to get 'em, too."

     "Heh, _almost_."

     The doctor had already slipped quietly out of the room to check on more of his patients.  Tails came over and hopped up in the chair beside the hospital bed.  "Are ya feelin' okay?  You've been out all night."

     "Not too great, actually.  What happened anyway?"

     "Well, after you did that whole 'my radio's not workin' thing, I kinda knew you were gonna do somethin' dumb, so I went in after you.  You were blacked out when I got there, so I strapped you into the _Tornado_ and went to the nearest city."

     Sonic tried to nod.  "And the Emeralds?  Did ya get those, too?"

     "Actually, you already did.  I noticed them in your hand when I was putting your seatbelt on.  I wasn't thinking about 'em, though, and would have left whether we had 'em or not."

     "So when do we leave?"

     Tails got off the chair.  "_We're_ not goin' anywhere yet.  You got a lotta water in your lungs, and maybe some of that chemical junk, too.  The docs wanna keep you here at least for today, make sure you're good to go."  He crossed his arms again.  "You better thank me, too, I had to explain for a long time why you were swimming in toxic waste."

     Sonic smiled.  "Thanks, Tails.  So, where are the Emeralds, anyway?"

     "I have 'em," Tails answered.  "In my pack, I left it in the _Tornado_.  Which reminds me, I should probably check on it.  I didn't exactly lock it down in the rush to get you here."

     "Don't worry about me," Sonic locked his fingers behind his head.  "I'll be fine."

     Tails laughed.  "I'm sure you will be.  Don't go anywhere."

     The city where they now found themselves was so big, Tails was surprised he had never seen it before, or even heard about it.  He wandered the streets, almost blinded by the glaring neon lights on every building and storefront.  He had never been in a large city before, and was amazed at what was advertised everywhere he looked.

     "If I lived in a place like this," he thought to himself, "I'd never be bored."

     Tails was filled with joy as he found himself standing in front of a store promising electronics equipment on the front window.  He quickly pushed the door open, which made a little bell above sing out happily.  He went straight for the nearest shelf, grabbing a box and reading its inscription.

     The manager of the store turned soon enough to see the flash of orange fur as he heard the bell ring.  "Can I help you, son?"

     "No, thanks!" he called back.  "Jus' looking!"

     The man chuckled and turned back to the counter.  Tails stood there wide-eyed at the merchandise in his hands.  "This is so cool...  I want one of these." 

-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

The girl groaned, her bright green eyes fluttering open against the rays of sunlight streaming into the room.  Her whole body hurt... it made it hard to move at all, but she struggled to sit up in the bed.  Where was she?  It looked like a hut.  "H-hello?"

     A curtain at the back of the room opened.  "Amy, you're awake!  How do you feel, girl?"

     She turned to look, a smile forming on her face.  "Ambre!"

     The cat came over to sit next to the bed, pushing the strands of straight sandy-brown hair away from her face.  "Hey, you've been out like a light since we got here."

     "Really?  Wow...  What happened?"

     "Take a look for yourself.  You're not metal anymore."

     Amy held up her hand turning it over slowly as her eyes grew wide.  "I... I'm not!  Ambre, what happened?"

     "We brought you to Knothole, girl.  You remember me telling you about that?"

     The girl's brow furrowed.  "Kind of...  Did they get me back to normal?"

     Ambre nodded.  "Princess Sally was kind enough to help us out.  She said we can stay here as long as we need."

     "Am I... all okay now?"

     "Almost.  Their doctor wants you to stay here for a while to make sure, though."

     "Okay."

     Ambre got to her feet.  "You just stay here and rest.  I have to talk with Princess Sally about some things, kay?"

     "Okay, Ambre."

     "Good girl," she smiled and headed for the doorway.

     As soon as the door closed behind her, Ambre let out a long sigh.  They had done it, just like they said they would.  Amy was almost all better, and all effects of her roboticization were gone.  She chuckled softly to herself.  Maybe this trip wouldn't be a waste after all.

     She crossed the courtyard to Princess Sally's office with a spring in her step.  She pushed the door open and entered, bowing respectfully.

     Sally put away what she had been working on and greeted her.  "Ambre, I'd like to talk to you about Amy."

     "Oh, Amy!" she smiled.  "Thank you again so much for helping her!"

     Sally smiled in return.  "You're very welcome, Ambre.  Now that she's being treated, I need to you to answer some questions I have about how she got the way she did."

     "Oh, sure.  We were attacked by Robotnik about a week before Doomsday; otherwise, we would have been here sooner.  Almost all of us got wiped out, and I assumed command.  We've been pretty much trying to hold the unit together all this time.

     "Amy... well, we weren't sure what happened to her, until we started throwing around 'roboticization' as a possibility.  None of us had seen that before, and it wasn't until we got your call that any of us thought about it.  Our doctor was able to stop it completely, as you saw, so we've had her like that for a long time.  We didn't really know what to do with her until we got your communication."

     Sally hummed to herself.  "Do you plan on staying here, then?  Or taking her back?"

     Ambre's brow furrowed.  She hadn't really thought about that yet.  "I guess we _could_ stay here... I mean, if you wanted.  We have more personnel back at Black Plain, I would have to send them word."

     The princess nodded.  "Then go ahead.  We would be more than pleased for you to join us at Knothole."

-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

Tails held his brand-new Geiger counter lovingly in his hands.  He had heard Rotor talk about them before, so he knew what they did, but he had never had one before.  Now he did, though; it was _his_ Geiger counter.  He smiled, liking the way that sounded.

     The kid looked back and forth down the street, now wondering how Sonic was doing cooped up in the hospital bed.  He should probably go check on him, or he might get worried.  He started off toward the hospital, fiddling with the buttons on his new toy and giggling to himself when he got the needle to move.  He looked up every once in a while to make sure he was going the right way, scanning the windows and lighted signs of stores as he passed to test it.  He first headed back to the plane, where he had left it earlier that night, checking to make sure nothing had been tampered with before locking everything down tight, making a mental note to check their fuel level before leaving for Knothole in the morning.

     Tails opened the aft cargo compartment, and was surprised as the Geiger counter let out a shrill beep.  He quickly dialed down the volume on the device's speaker, then tried to remember if he had stashed any isotopes in his plane.  Then he remembered the Chaos Emeralds and sighed, relieved.  He found them in a bag in the far back of the hold, then wrapped them up again to where the scanner wouldn't pick them up and put them in his backpack.

     "If this thing can detect Emeralds, too..." he thought to himself on the way back to the city proper, "maybe it was a good thing I bought it after all."

     Tails kept playing with his device as he walked, somewhat disappointed that there was nothing lethally radioactive that he could find.  After not too long, though, he figured out all there was to do with it for the moment, and slid the counter into his jacket pocket.  Even in the dead of night the city was bustling with activity, and young Tails had to make sure he didn't get trampled for all the passers-by between the airfield and the hospital.  He had the feeling that the city saw a lot of tourism, since most of the establishments lining the main street consisted of casinos and other varied betting parlors.

     So loud was the crowd around him that he barely felt it when the device in his pocket buzzed loudly.  He took it out, seeing the indicator needle slowly inching upward.  Tails looked around, almost nervously, as he tried to get out of the way of the crowd and try to figure out what it was that was making his device act up.  It was as he was coming closer to what looked like a pawn shop that the Geiger counter went crazy, and it didn't take Tails five seconds to figure out what it meant.  He slowly pushed open the door and went inside.

     It was decidedly a different atmosphere than the electronics shop from earlier that day.  Half the lights in the place were off, and one of them in the corner was flickering absently.  There was no one around, and the counter at the front of the store was decorated with a wire mesh of some kind.  And it stank.

     Tails turned the volume on his scanner down to nothing as he looked around.  The signal seemed to be getting stronger near the front of the store, probably something behind the counter.  He went up to the wire grating, peering over the edge of the tall counter.  He couldn't see anything, but there was someone back there.  He looked around for a service bell and, upon finding none, cleared his throat loudly.

     The manager of the shop -- at least, Tails assumed he was -- was a tall weasel with slicked-back hair and a tattered jacket.  He glanced back at Tails with beady little eyes, not bothering to hurry with what he was doing.  He finished and came back to him.  "What you want, kid?"

     "Um..." Tails searched for words.  What did he want, anyway?  "I was just, uh... looking for some jewelry."

     The weasel sniffed and rolled the toothpick in his mouth.  "Jewelry, huh?"

     Tails thought for a moment, then rummaged through his pack until he found the Emeralds.  "One like this?  Do you have one?"

     The shopkeeper's eyes visibly widened as he saw the gem.  Just as quickly, though, he shook his head.  "Nope.  Never seen 'em before."

     Tails frowned.  He knew he wasn't telling the truth.  "Then something else back there is giving off high levels of radiation," he said, then smiled impishly.  "Bet it's somethin' illegal."

     The weasel was taken aback for a moment.  "Jus' who do you think you are, kid?"

     "It's a secret," he grinned again.  "Now do you have one of these, or not?"

     "Yeah, I do," he replied gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest.  "But you can't have it.  It's already got a buyer, I'm just holding it for him."

     "Oh, really.  Who is it?  How much is he payin' ya?"

     "I don't gotta tell you nothin', kid, now shove off."

     Tails left the store, still smiling.  _Gotta tell Sonic about this._

-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

"Hey, you okay?"

     Jewel turned her head slowly to see Antipode walking toward her.  She managed a smile before turning back to the lake.  "I'm fine."

     The echidna took a seat on a rock beside the stump she was on, the cross dangling from his neck as he leaned forward.  "How's the leg?  Any better?"

     "Yes."

     "That's good."

     "Thank you... for helping me before," she spoke quietly, still staring at the glittering surface of the lake.

     "Hey, no problem.  You need anything else from me, just ask."

     Jewel hummed quietly to herself, her green eyes blinking slowly.  Antipode looked at her for a moment before speaking, "You sure you're okay?"

     "I'm sure," she sighed.

     "Okay," he replied slowly, rising to his feet.  "I'll leave you alone then.  If you wanna talk or anything, just call."

     Jewel nodded; he started back for camp.  He stopped, though, when she called out to him again.  "I'm sorry if I seem rude.  I have a lot on my mind."

     "Hey, I understand that.  If you want to be alone, that's okay.  I'll be around if you ever want to talk."

     "Thank you.  I'll keep that in mind."

     Antipode smiled.  "I'm on camp patrol over the night.  Just, ya know, so you know where I am."

     "All right."

-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-

Sonic was exhausted and passed out in the bed from all the tests the doctors had put him through.  The other bed in the room was empty, and they gave Tails permission to have use of it until morning.  The kid was quite drained himself, he found, as he collapsed onto the sheets the moment he returned.

     It was nearly noon by the time they both fully awakened, and Tails had told him of his adventure the previous night, but by 1:00 they had checked out of the hospital and were hitting the town.  Tails showed Sonic all of the neat things he had found while exploring, leading him around and eventually coming to rest outside the pawn shop.

     A knowing grin spread across Sonic's face as they entered, and he marched straight up to the counter, pounding his fist against the metal screen.  "Hey!"

     The weasel emerged from the back room, stopping dead in his tracks as soon as he cleared the doorway.  A look of comic horror plastered itself on his features, as he stared at the hedgehog.  "You..."

     "That's right: me," Sonic answered, his smile widening as he crossed his arms.  "You givin' my little bro crap, Nack?"

     The weasel's mouth fell open, his toothpick dropping to the floor.  "I-I didn't know he was with you guys!  Honest!"

     "Uh-huh.  So what are you gonna do now?"

     Nack stammered as he looked for words.

     "Look, ya gotta Chaos Emerald or not?"

     "I... I do, but..."

     "But what?"

     "Like I told da kid, it's gotta buyer already.  I'm just holding it till he picks it up."

     "Who?"

     "That's confiden-"

     _"Who is it, Nack!"_

     The weasel recoiled visibly.  "Gah!  It-it was a big guy, wearing a trench or sumthin.  Said he could pay me real well for it, too; gave me a great down payment."

     A beat of silence.  "Big guy?"

     "Y-yeah.  With a mustache."

     Sonic's eyes narrowed.  "Eggman."

     "Anyway, he's got it.  He said he'll be back in a couple days to pick it up."

     "Nack, you _moron!_  You just sold an item of infinite power to the most dangerous man on Mobius!"

     "Did I?"

     Sonic growled at the man.  "Give it to me now, and we won't hafta call the idiot police to pick you up."

     "No, way!  That guy's givin' me the cash!  I'm not givin' it to you instead without some kind of repayment!"

     The hedgehog gave a growling sigh.  "Nack, don't be stupid.  If Eggman gets his mitts on those Emeralds, it's game over for all of Mobius!  Is that what you want?"

     He made a rude noise.  "What do I care?  I'm gettin' paid."

     Sonic lunged at the metal grating, hitting it so forcefully that Nack leapt backward.  "_Listen to me!_  You give me that Emerald _right now_ or I'm calling the police, you hear me?"

     "But... but I..."

     _"NOW, NACK!"_

     The weasel made a whimpering sound as he retreated to the back room, returning in a moment with a small gem in his hands.  He gingerly passed it through the small hole in the grating, nearly leaping back again as Sonic snatched it away.

     "Yeah, that's better," Sonic growled at him as he turned the Emerald over in his hands.  "Glad doin' _business_ with you again, _Nack_."

     "Whatever.  Get outta my store."

     Sonic and Tails went straight back to the _Tornado_, and soon they were flying in the afternoon breeze, en route back to Knothole.

                           **TO BE CONCLUDED**

MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Joining teh |337

With the uploading of this chapter to FanFiction.net, "Freedom Fighters of Mobius" will exceed the 100,000-word mark, thus ranking it among the longest Sonic fanfics posted at that site.  So far, only 10 fics have received this acclaim, two of which I believe are still being written.  Also with the finishing of this chapter, the series is officially half over.  Fifteen chapters down, fifteen chapters to go.  So, by my estimation, FFoM will tally nearly 200,000 words -- quite possibly, more -- by it's completion.  This, I realize, includes the author's notes and the opening credits, but still, an amazing accomplishment indeed.

I realize this chapter took a long time to publish, and I apologize to all my fans (three?) whom I have kept waiting on bated breath (huh?).  I won't give excuses, other than life is crap, and this storyline is getting a bit stale; sorry if this chapter seems forced, I'm trying to get to a better part.  I wish I could say that this chapter is worth the wait, but that would be a lie.  I'm actually cutting it short to try and start anew with the new chapter; this is my shortest submission in the series.  Anyhoo, I'll keep working, of course.

Keep it real,

-AE


	16. 3239, Day 156 : CHAOS Part 3, Freefall

05 /31 /04

* * *

_Antipode Evangel presents:_

**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**

* * *

Year 3239, Day 156

CHAOS, Part 3

Freefall

* * *

_Disclaimer:_

Story (c) 2004 by the author, based on situations and elements created by Service Games (SEGA), DiC Productions, and Archie Publications. Most characters based on personalities originally created by SEGA Interactive, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Publications, and modified by the author. This is a work of fanfiction, meant only to entertain the readers and to contribute to the mythos of the source material. The author in no way benefits financially from this work.

_Other characters in this chapter include:_

Jewel, Antipode, (c) Antipode Evangel (Adam Czech)

Ambre, (c) Ambre Wisniewski, used with permission.

* * *

--RESOURCE GATHERING COMPLETE--

Doctor Ivo Robotnik sat back in his control chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Excellent," he hissed, a grin spreading over his face. He got to his feet and surveyed the robot-controlled bridge of his craft, the _Wing Fortress_. "Prepare for launch!" he bellowed loudly, triggering his mechanical minions to work.

-==-==-==-==-

The explosion was so loud and the fireball so large that Sonic and Tails could hear it even above the roar of _Tornado_'s engine. The fox quickly swung the craft around, and even from such a distance they could distinctly see a column on fire on the horizon, over the ocean. The plane picked up speed as they left the coast behind them, and it wasn't long before they could spot the smoldering remains of what looked like an off-shore oil platform. And slowly heading away from it was...

"Eggman again!" Tails shouted back.

"Man, that creep's everywhere! Well, he's not getting away this time! Tails, see how close you can get to that carrier!"

"Why? What are you gonna do, Sonic?"

"I'm not sure..." he said slowly, then grinned and unbuckled himself from his seat. "I guess I'll just wing it!"

Tails risked a glance back and saw Sonic on top of the plane, balancing the best he could on the top wing. "Sonic, what are you _doing_?"

"Just get as close as you can, bro," he answered back, crouching down to fight the wind resistance.

Tails shook his head slowly, but did as he was told. _Tornado_ swung around to the massive carrier's side, inching closer and closer. Sonic inched out on the wing, grabbing on to the edge to keep from getting thrown off. Abruptly, Robotnik's craft lurched upward, rapidly gaining altitude.

"Sonic!" Tails shouted from the cockpit, "Egghead's goin' up! I won't be able to stay with him for much longer!"

"Do what you can, Bro! I've gotta get up there!"

Tails bit his lower lip and jerked the control stick back to his chest. _Tornado_ obediently climbed, eliciting a yelp and subsequent gripping of the wing from Sonic. A few moments later the plane was sidling up to the monstrous craft once again. Sonic cautiously continued his journey to the wing's edge, every inch seeming to get gradually longer. Tails kept an eye on him intently, watching his gauges and relative position to the flying fortress with the other.

Sonic kept his left hand down on the wing to steady himself, reaching out toward the craft with his right. _Just a little closer..._ He was so close... he could feel the chill of the metal against his fingertips. Then he fell abruptly forward as _Tornado_ hit a pocket of air and lurched sideways, almost scraping paint onto the wing of the carrier. He almost panicked, but leapt as far off of the plane as he could, barely landing on the wing of Robotnik's craft and hanging on for dear life.

"All right, wise guy!" Tails shouted at him. "_Now what?_"

"I'm going inside!" Sonic called back.

"You're _what?_"

"Head back to Knothole, Bro! I've gotta see what Eggman's up to!"

"But how will _you_ get back?"

He wasn't listening anymore. Sonic inched toward the main body of the carrier, grateful to see an entrance hatch of some kind close to the wing. The rush of air ripping at his clothes was almost deafening around him, but he thought he could hear the whine of _Tornado_'s engine as Tails dropped away and headed back to the ground. The flying fortress was still climbing for air, and the hedgehog found it hard to breathe as he reached the hatch and tried to find a way to open it. He didn't know if it was something he did, but it opened almost at his touch, and he fell inside, collapsing on the metal floor; the hatch closed just as quickly, leaving him in near-complete darkness.

Sonic got up after he had caught his breath, looking around as his eyes adjusted. He couldn't tell where he was; a hallway, maybe. _Knowing Robotnik, he's probably got bots patrolling every square inch of this place. Gotta be sharp._

He took off down the hallway, quickly but quietly, peering cautiously around corners before choosing directions. Surprise of all surprises, the place was eccentrically designed, and he would have gotten lost were it not for less-than-subtle signs adorning the walls, telling him where the vital areas of the aircraft were. Sonic made his way to the command center the best he could, taking note that the craft was built in cells, each cell devoted to a different facet of the ship's function.

He followed the signs to what he hoped was the front of the carrier, trying to avoid the line of sight of the guard bots he constantly found patrolling the corridors. They were all identical: half-domes, about a meter to a meter and a half in diameter. They rolled quietly along the passages of the airship, stopping periodically to scan the area around with a rotating antenna atop their "heads."

After seeing the first one, Sonic was shocked at how... _basic_ it was. Compared to the SWATbots the Freedom Fighters had been used to sparring with, these were decidedly lower-tech. Maybe, he reasoned, Robotnik had to come up with new designs, now that his resources were more limited. What were these things called? Badniks, or something like that, if he remembered right.

By memorizing their movement patterns -- since it was almost ridiculously simple; Robotnik must not be using the best AI, either -- Sonic was able to completely avoid confrontation as he moved about the craft. Something seemed to be happening around him, but he couldn't tell what. By simply wandering and observing he was able to find an airlock of some kind, which after a length of time Sonic couldn't guess at slid open to lead outside.

_We must be docked at one of Eggman's bases,_ he mused as he started cautiously down the metallic hallway. _I should try and find his command center and find out what he's up to._

After traversing the passages for not too long he found himself standing before a large door, which he assumed was the way to the command bridge. It slid aside at his approach, and he stepped through, into another completely darkened room; even the windows were dark.

Sonic looked around, senses on high. Maybe he got there before the fat man. As he entered, the door behind him closed... and locked. It didn't take him long to figure out what that meant. He stood perfectly still, eyes straining to see through the darkness. "I know you're out there, Eggman."

Deep, dark chuckles. "What a pleasure to see you again, rodent."

"Pleasure's all yours."

"That was quite a feat you pulled, getting on my _Wing Fortress_ at 50,000 feet. Impressive, indeed."

"I strive to please. Too bad it had to be you."

Another chuckle. "I am glad you decided to join me, hedgehog. You see... you have something I want."

There was a sharp stinging in Sonic's neck as something tightened, threatening to close off his airways. His backpack was violently torn from his shoulders and he was thrown to the ground. He groaned and tried to get back up, looking around for his assailant. "What the heck was _that_, Egghead? Another one of your lame-o bots, I bet."

"Heh heh... You are a keen observer, rodent. Though this 'bot' is special. Very much so."

"Oh, yeah?" Sonic grunted, lifting himself to his feet. "An' why's that, huh?"

Dim lighting at the perimeter of the room suddenly clicked on, enough to cast an eerie glow. Sonic blinked, realizing with a start that the robot in question was standing right there. And it looked like him.

-==-==-==-==-

The songbird sat peacefully on the low branch of the tree, whistling a happy tune to itself. It hopped about back and forth from the trunk of the tree to the buds on the opposite end, but not for long before taking to the air and riding the currents to another tree on the far side of the compound.

The hedgehog girl called Amy Rose watched the bird's movements from the shade of the commons area, sitting alone at a table and observing the goings-on of the camp around her. Doctor Draftwood had approved of giving her some time outside this morning, since the tests so far had been going well. For that she was grateful; she had missed the forest terribly.

Amy looked down at the loose, dull, sweatshirt and pants she had on, her emotionless face not changing. It was the best they could do on such short notice, but Ambre had promised that they would go to Textiles that day to order something better. She said Amy might have a brand new outfit by the time she got out of the doctor's care for good.

The girl smiled as she saw Ambre crossing the courtyard toward the commons. She came in and sat down at Amy's table, smiling pleasantly. "Hey, girl, feeling better?"

"A little," she responded quietly. "I missed being outside."

The cat nodded understandingly. "I've been twisting the doc's arm to let you out. You'll get more time away from the bed from now on."

"That's good."

"I talked with Princess Sally last night."

"Hmm?"

"I told her we're going to stay here in Knothole with them. I just sent word to everyone back at base, they'll be here in a couple days."

"Good. I like it here."

Ambre smiled. "I thought you would."

Amy turned her head to look back out into the camp, at the trees beyond the perimeter, branches slowly waving back and forth in the cool breeze. She closed her eyes as a breath of wind found its way into the commons, blowing through her hair. She smiled. The wind felt nice.

-==-==-==-==-

The force of the impact threw Sonic backward, his back hitting the wall behind him hard. He grunted and winced against the pain he was in, slowly sliding down until he collapsed fully on the floor.

"That's enough, Alpha."

Sonic risked a glance through half-closed eyes. The robot was still standing over him, lifeless red eyes staring down at him through the darkness. Its fists were clenching and unclenching, the fingers producing a metallic clicking. Its structure looked almost exactly like him, except for the "skin" being a solid silver-metal shell. The real hedgehog tried to lift himself to his feet, but found the beating had taken a lot out of him.

Robotnik's deep chuckling sounded in his ears. "So... still think it's a 'same old machine,' rodent?"

"I admit, you got me, Eggman," he groaned back, trying to make his voice loud enough to show he wasn't done yet.

He laughed. "Indeed. B-100 Alpha here is my prototype in what will hopefully be a long and successful series of replicant androids that I can use to further my reach of power."

"Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"Your pitiful brain probably wouldn't grasp the concept."

"Try me."

"The internal metal skeleton is able to support a wide variety of cosmetic body types. Or, in terms you might be able to understand, using only slight modifications, a robot that could resemble any living being."

"Whoop-de-doo. You might not have noticed, Egg-head, but the thing still looks like a robot."

"It's a prototype, you insolent beast. It will be finished as soon as it proves its usefulness in combat situations."  
"How?"

"By killing you."

"Oh."

"Which is one of the reasons I'm so glad you stowed aboard, rodent. In your foolishness you've brought to me more of the power crystals I need to give energy to my creations."

"Power crystals?"

At Robotnik's command, the robot ripped open Sonic's pack, reaching in and removing in a handful the six Emeralds he had inside.

"What? The Chaos Emeralds? You've figured out how to unlock them?"

He laughed. "Of course. Alpha is being powered by one of these Emeralds right now."

Sonic squeezed his eyes shut as Robotnik's laughter threatened to drive him insane. "Oh, craaaaap."

"Alpha, bring me the crystals."  
With the barely-audible whirr of servomotors the robot turned and began walking toward the side of the room, where Sonic guessed Robotnik was hiding. He growled deep in his throat. He couldn't let this happen! If Robotnik got his hands on those Emeralds... He put his hands flat on the floor and pushed. He had to stay standing, he had to fight! He eased himself to his feet, working hard to balance and stay upright. He staggered toward the retreating robot, calling out to it with a breaking voice, "Hold it... you..."

Alpha stopped, but made no other reaction. Sonic continued laboriously forward, until he was only a meter behind it. "Put 'em... down... rust bucket..."

The robot swiveled his head, just enough to see the hedgehog at the corner of its visual receptors. Its eyes seemed to flare red, then Robotnik's voice came from a hidden speaker again. "Alpha. Destroy him." The robot now turned fully to stare Sonic head-on.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..."

Alpha took a menacing step forward; Sonic took one back. Still holding the Emeralds tight in its left hand, the robot swung with its right, forcing Sonic to duck out of the way, though it must have looked more like he was falling over. He squeezed his eyes shut and punched hard, his fist connecting with Alpha's torso.

The pain was incredible.

Robotnik cackled. "You can't break through Alpha's armor, rodent. I made sure it was strong enough to withstand a direct hit from my own Mark 3 warhead!"

"I... see that... jerk." Sonic growled and clutched his throbbing hand, eternally grateful it wasn't broken.

Alpha reached out with a clawed hand, intent on tearing into Sonic's flesh and removing some vital components. He was barely able to dodge out of the way in time, rolling to a safer distance from his antagonist. The robot easily retargeted, and began stalking toward him again. Sonic's eyes darting about nervously, trying to formulate a plan to strike back.

"You can't win, hedgehog," he heard Robotnik say from his hiding place. "This is the end."

"No way, Eggman. I'm not done yet." _Where was he hiding?_

Another laugh. "You simple beast. Still haven't figured it out, have you?"

"Figured _what_ out?"

A pause of silence, then a large metallic _chunk_ rang through the room, and two of the walls of the room began to drop away. Beyond those were large transparent viewing panes to the exterior of the airship. And outside the view-panes were stars. Thousands of twinkling stars in the vast expanse of the heavens.

"What the... I thought we were docked at one of your bases."

"You're right, for once. We are docked at my base... but not one on the ground."

"What?"

"Welcome to the _Death Orb Dreadnaught_, my personal aerial launch platform, high in orbit around Mobius."

"You're insane."

"Am I now? Then perhaps you don't realize what this means. With this station in my power, I can launch attacks at will against any of your pathetic rebels... anywhere in the world."

Sonic shook his head, half in objection and half in condescension. "It'll never work, Eggman."

"We'll see, vermin."

"And why are you telling all this to me? Aren't you a little afraid that I'll blab it to everybody back home?"

"Not at all. I know you'll never be leaving. Even now the _Death Orb_ is descending, and once it is within range I will launch my air fighters and completely obliterate your friends, one by one. Unfortunately, you will not be alive to see it. Alpha!"

The robot stepped forward once again, and Sonic turned to watch it carefully. _Even if Egghead's wrong, I gotta get back to Knothole and tell 'em all about this. Which means getting rid of bolts-for-brains over here._

During Robotnik's lengthy oratory Sonic was able to recover some of his strength lost from Alpha's first attack, and now he was galvanized into action as it came for him again. He eyed it warily as it approached, his eyes constantly falling on its fist, and the six Emeralds trapped within the metal bars of its fingers.

Alpha slowly started forward, having all the time in the world to destroy its target. Robotnik bellowed, accompanying a multitude of claw-studded metal tentacles slithering out of the walls. "I just thought I'd make this a little bit more fun to watch."

The silver robot and all of the tentacles came at Sonic at once, each one intent on the same thing: their master's will. He jumped and dodged all he could, but he couldn't possibly avoid them all. He was battered around like a rag doll, and still their mechanical fury showed no limits.

His strength was quickly beaten out of him again, and he found it hard to stay upright, much less fight. It was easy enough evading the robot, but the claws posed more of a problem. There were too many to evade, too many to fight back against. He had to play this smart, somehow use it to his advantage.

Sonic rolled under another tentacle as it lunged for him, coming up on one knee not two meters from Alpha. The robot had been targeting him continually, and now used this opportunity to attack. Its claw came down at him, but Sonic was only paying mild attention to that. What he saw was another of the clawed tentacles coming toward him, closer, ever closer. When the hedgehog chose the moment to move, it was quick and calculated, placing Alpha between him and the claws.

As he had hoped, Robotnik's AI problems saved him again. The claw kept going straight for him, punching through Alpha's torso. Sonic's face was cut by flying shrapnel, and when he opened his eyes, there was Alpha's Chaos Emerald core, lying on the ground mere centimeters from him. He reached out to grab it, the energy coursing through his fingers as they closed around it. That wonderful, magic feeling...

Sonic's eyes closed again, this time as he concentrated on the incredible feeling bleeding into him from the Emerald in his hands. It got stronger the more he thought about it, until he was nearly overcome with the sensation. Soon he didn't feel the Emerald at all, just the wonderful, marvelous energy it produced. Actually, he wasn't really sure it was still there anyway; somehow, it had just disappeared.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he decided to open his eyes, but he did realize that all his injuries had been almost completely healed. He got to his feet, feely strangely empowered, even though Alpha and the clawed tentacles were still bent on his demise. His brow lowered in determination as he stared the robot down. Now was the time.

First he had to get his stolen Emeralds back. He stepped forward resolutely, grabbing Alpha's arm and merely pulling. What he received was a swift punch to the ribcage. Sonic backpedaled, but the pain from the hit quickly faded, and he regained his composure for another attack. This one came with more precision, as Sonic focused a strong kick at Alpha's hand. One of the metal fingers cracked, and another broke off completely, which surprised him more than anything else.

The Chaos Emeralds it had been holding flew from its grip to scatter to the floor. Sonic thought he heard Robotnik's voice bellow for Alpha to recover them, but he was already diving to the ground. He grabbed them up, clutching them to his chest. He had them! He got them back!

He felt a crushing pain on his back as one of the tentacles came down on him, the claws tearing through his shirt and into his back and pinning him to the floor. Sonic cried out in pain, his teeth grinding. The metal dug farther into his flesh, the pain growing unbearable, but mixing strangely with the immense pleasure bleeding off the gems in his hands. Pleasure and pain... Pain and pleasure...

Sonic screamed. The world around him became a blinding flash of color and warped sounds, fluctuations in space/time ripped through his body as the paradox of emotion threatened to tear him apart. Hot tears clouded his vision, his eyes squeezed shut even harder. And then...

And then...

Nothing.

The pain from the claw had passed, because the claw itself was gone. He was floating, as strange as that itself was. _Heh, I'm dead,_ was his first thought, but then he opened his eyes. To his surprise and disappointment, he was still there in the room, with Alpha and the tentacles around him. They moved slowly, as if through water.

Sonic still felt the energy of the Emeralds, but now he felt it from within, empowering. The darkness from the room was now dispelled, the air itself seeming to sparkle somehow. And the walls were nearly translucent, in that he could see -- or maybe sense -- the locations of the corridors around them... and even the hidden control room from where Robotnik had been observing the fight between him and Alpha.

He stood, finding his body not lagged down like all of the other entities in the chamber. His fur had taken a golden glow. His mind had such clarity, he quickly composed plans in his mind, far too many to be executed, but the multitude of options he presented himself was astonishing. First: Alpha.

Sonic hovered over to him -- hovered since he now had no need to stand on the ground. A kick to its torso, its legs, its head. Almost before he realized what he was doing, Sonic had completely destroyed the robot. The tentacles were still tracking him, but with his enhanced speed there was now no chance of them catching him. He ran a circuit around the room, punching the metal arms so fast they splintered in half and collapsed to the ground.

Next, Robotnik. Sonic turned, his face expressionless, to face the wall he knew the doctor was hiding behind. "It's over, Robotnik. Time to say good-bye."

He flew toward the wall, jumping and kicking straight through the metal and landing on the other side. He found Robotnik running slowly for the door. Sonic easily caught up with him, tripping him and watching with amused interest as the fat man lost his balance and went floating exaggeratedly slow through the air. Perhaps he should kill the man. After all, he had plagued Sonic's entire life, and the lives of all of his compatriots. Here he was in the perfect position to end all of that. How easy it would be.

Sonic smiled as Robotnik hit the metal decking and bounced slightly. How easy...

Sonic kicked Robotnik in the side and watched as he groaned and rolled over. How easy...

But then, how would he get down? Surely there must be a way to lower the _Dreadnaught_ from orbit. Robotnik would know.

Sonic grabbed the man by the front of his crimson uniform and lifted him effortlessly, even though he must have been several times Sonic's weight, and doubled his height. He pinned Robotnik against the wall and stared him in the face. The doctor's eyes flicked nervously.

"Bring us down."

Perhaps because of his accelerated state, but the fat man didn't seem to understand. Sonic tightened his grip. "Bring. Us. Down."

Robotnik spoke, torturously slow. "Do what you will. There's no way off this station."

_Kill him, kill him, kill him!_

"You're. Bluffing."

"Afraid not. Go on and kill me. You'll never return to your friends."

_He gave you permission! Do it!!_

"Then where were you running off to in such a hurry?" He gave Robotnik a final shove against the wall and took off into the corridor, gliding several centimeters off the ground.

_Destroy the station, destroy Robotnik, make him pay, make him pay..._

He had no idea where he was going, but there had to be a control room somewhere that monitored and maintained the massive space station's orbit around Mobius. He would need to find it, and start the orbit to decay. With any luck it would completely burn on impact with the atmosphere.

He flew as fast as he could, no rhyme or reason to the passages he took, he just knew that it had to be there somewhere, and he had to find it, find it quickly, now wasn't the time for tactics and strategy he had to finish this job, finish Robotnik off, make him pay for what he did!

Sonic found some kind of engine room. Golden streaks filled the chamber, and in no time every piece of machinery there was shrapnel. Red lights came on from somewhere. What he had done had affected something.

WARNING -- ORBITAL STABILIZERS OFF-LINE -- ORBIT DECAYING

Ah, so that was it after all. Good. Now to leave before getting fried. He flew back to Robotnik's room, but the fat man was long since gone. Not that Sonic couldn't track him down, if he wanted; but the utter destruction of his precious space station would do the dirty work for him. The only thing left was to escape.

On that front, however, he had to admit Robotnik had a point. It's not a simple task to return from space. That liar. How did he get up here in the first place? He had that carrier of his, that must have been where he was going.

Sonic took off again. If he was lucky he could get back onboard before Eggman launched. He glided through the halls of the space-station at top speed, trying with all his strength to make it to the docking bay.

He got there just in time to see the Carrier taking off. That didn't stop him. He kept going even faster and launched himself into the air, grabbing hold of the edge as it flew down into orbit.

The G's pushing against him continually beat him with airborne debris, but he only laughed. He felt no pain.

He looked at his fingers: they were still holding onto Robotnik's ship. He was dependant something. He was still holding on. He smiled and let go. He would not be dependant on Robotnik. He didn't need anything. He was invincible.

He felt a sharp punch to the stomach. His muscles spasmed. He winced in pain. PAIN. He opened up his eyes, and the Chaos Emeralds were no longer helping him. They were just out of his reach, falling with him.

Sonic reached out to grab them. He wanted -- no, _needed_ -- them. All his thought and will told his body to reach forward and his body strained. His fingertips brushed them, but he felt nothing. No power. No invincibility. Nothing.

-==-==-==-==-

The descent of the _Death Orb_ had gotten the attention of nearly every Mobian on the northern hemisphere of the planet. When news of the weapon's appearance reached Knothole, Sally ordered everyone into their huts; everyone, that is, except for Tails. When the kid had told her about Sonic's "great plan" she had decided to keep it secret from everyone else, and wait to see what would happen. Now what was unfolding was even more horrifying than what she had envisioned.

Now she left Tails in her office and ran. She ran as fast as she could along the forest path, reckless abandon driving her forward. She broke through the tree line, just in time to see the massive chunks of the space station dropping over the horizon, leaving fiery trails in their wakes. Her vision blurred over through tears as she saw it, a singular thought racing through her mind...

_Sonic..._

Her knees gave way, and she dropped to the moist earth beneath her. And still her eyes were transfixed on the horizon, where the vestiges of the station fell from view. It couldn't be true... Even with all the stupid things that hedgehog had done in the past... He couldn't be... be...

"Pretty girls shouldn't cry."

Sally spun her head, her moist eyes widening. She scrambled to her feet, rushing forward into his embrace, kissing him passionately. She melted fully into him, overcome with joy at his presence. When finally she pulled back, Sally looked up into his eyes, but no words came.

He smiled. "Hey."

She buried her face in his shirt. "Oh, Sonic..."

"Miss me?"

"I thought you... you..."

"Well, I didn't. Obviously."

She pulled him tighter. "Don't you ever do that again..."

"What, save the world? Sorry, it is a bad habit, isn't it?"

"Stop it. You know what I mean."

He played at her hair. "I know..."

"I had to put the camp on lock-down. I didn't know what was going on. Tails is worried about you."

"He is, huh? Suppose I better go tell everyone what happened."

"What did happen?"

"Robotnik."

She punched him playfully. "I figured that."

"Sorry. The short version is that Egghead's making new robots that can look like other people. I'll make a report or whatever those stupid things are you make us do."

Sally held him tighter. "I'm just so glad you're back."

"Me, too."

They walked slowly back to Knothole, hand in hand. Tails met them just outside the entrance to the camp, latching onto Sonic's leg and threatening to cut off circulation. Sally called everyone back out, and Sonic and Tails took turns describing the events of the mission, everything from the investigation at the monastery three days ago to the assault on Robotnik's space station.

When he had finished, the crowd began to disperse, a large number approaching Sonic to congratulate him on his success. He shook hands and laughed and smiled, if only to make Sally happy.

"So this is the great Sonic, hmm?"

The hedgehog turned to face the dark-furred cat who had addressed him. "That's right. Got me at a bit of a loss, though. You are?"

Sally stepped forward. "Sonic, this is Ambre. Her cell came the day you left. They've decided to join with us here."

He brought his hand forward. "Always glad to have new personnel."

Ambre reached out and shook it. "Glad to be here."

Sonic smiled as he had been doing all day, and almost turned to leave. He stopped, though, when he saw the small girl looking admirably up at him from several feet behind Ambre. She was in a drab gray outfit that did nothing to deaden the bright tone of her green eyes. She blinked twice, something akin to awe in her face.

Sally realized his gaze. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is one of the members of Ambre's cell. Sonic, meet Amy Rose."

--END OF CHAPTER--

* * *

MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: GGGRGRRRAAAAHHHHH!

ONE MONTH!! IT TOOK ME A MONTH TO WRITE THIS STUPID THING!!!!!

My brother helped me with this one. After this chapter was finished I ate a chili dog in honor of Sonic. And that's all.

-AE


	17. 3240, Day 147 : Transition

07 /31 /04

* * *

_Antipode Evangel presents:_

**_Freedom Fighters of Mobius_**

* * *

Year 3240, Day 147

Transition

* * *

_Disclaimer:_

Story (c) 2004 by the author, based on situations and elements created by Service Games (SEGA), DiC Productions, and Archie Publications. Most characters based on personalities originally created by SEGA Interactive, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Publications, and modified by the author. This is a work of fanfiction, meant only to entertain the readers and to contribute to the mythos of the source material. The author in no way benefits financially from this work.

* * *

_Other characters in this chapter include:_

Chip and Cruiser (back by popular demand!), Jewel, Antipode, Zane, (c) Antipode Evangel (Adam Czech)

Joie (c) RamenNoodles518 (Joie), used with permission.

NyteShade (c) Shade, used with permission (wuv you, sweetie! )

_

* * *

_

_Special Thanks:_

To Shaddie Dreamweaver (Anastasia) for helping me out with writing. She wrote the scene near the end in Tails' garage. Thankies, little sis! :hugs: Go visit her DA site! [ShaddieDreamweaver . DeviantArt . com]

* * *

The B-100 Alpha incident had taught Ivo Robotnik an important lesson. It had been a field test, that was all, and it had performed rather admirably, if he may say so himself, despite the fact that the remaining scrap metal had been melted into oblivion when the _Death Orb Dreadnaught_ had broken apart upon contact with Mobius' atmosphere. After that infernal hedgehog unleashed the energies of the Chaos Emeralds against him, he had barely escaped with his own life. In any case, though, a lesson had been learned.

And so he had returned to the design phase. The prototype had been unsuccessful, and a new prototype must now be designed. The fact that the failure of his machine nearly resulted in his death, and also the near-destruction of his flagship, was unimportant to him; that he still lived was reason enough to build a better, more powerful machine: C-100 Alpha, a new prototype. One powerful enough to deal its master's bidding.

In fact, in the year since the fall of the _Dreadnaught_, C-Alpha was nearly complete, and Robotnik had been readying several targets to test its effectiveness, before sending it on the main objective, the entire purpose of its creation: the capture and destruction of the freedom fighter called...

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

"Soooooniiiiiic!"

The Blue Blur raced through the paths of the Great Forest, doing his best to keep one step ahead of his pursuer. She had been doing this nearly every day for the past year. Couldn't she get a clue? He ran faster, trying to lose her by winding his way through the network of paths surrounding Camp Knothole. Unfortunately, though, the girl had quickly learned how to navigate through the forest as well, and she was determined to catch him.

It was only a matter of time, before she caught up with him, launching herself through the air to tackle him to the ground. "Got you!"

"AH! Amy!" Sonic shouted and winced, trying to push her off and get away, but she clung on to his t-shirt so hard he was afraid she'd rip it right off.

"No, Sonic, I've got you, and now you've gotta play with me!" the young hedgehog girl exclaimed triumphantly.

"Who says?"

"Oh, c'mon, Sonic!"

"No!" He gave a hard shove, sending the girl sprawling to the ground.

She got up quickly, brushing the dust off her bright cherry-red dress and giggling. It had been like this for the past year. For some odd reason Amy Rose had an unquenchable fascination with Sonic. When it had first started Sonic had racked his brain trying to figure out what was wrong with her; he concluded it could be a form of hero worship, since she was only 15 -- 6 years Sonic's junior -- and they had first met after he had brought down Doctor Robotnik's _Death Orb_ station. Still, that didn't refute the fact that she just would _not_ leave him alone, and he was getting tired of it.

"Amy, isn't there something -- _anything!_ -- you could be doing besides chasing me around? I have stuff to do, ya know!"

"Aw, but why can't you play with me for a while?"

"Because, I... Gah, Amy! Just go find something to do!"

And with that he took off again. Amy gave him a head-start, then resumed the chase. _He's__ playing hard to get! So cute... _

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

_Just a little more..._

The micro-screwdriver turned slowly, tightening the tiny screw ever so slightly. When he was sure it was in place, and at the right tension, he pulled the tool back, carefully to avoid hitting any of the sensitive components in the case. When it was cleared he set it down on the workbench, then reached up and lifted the magnification goggles from his eyes.

Twelve-year-old Miles "Tails" Prower surveyed his work on the innards of the computer and decided it quite satisfactory. He set the goggles on the desk beside the screwdriver, then leaned back in the swivel chair and sighed, running a hand through his thick, red-orange hair.

"How's it going, buddy?"

Tails stared at the ceiling as he answered. "All done, Rotor. Come have a look."

The stocky walrus crossed the room and bent down to examine the electronics inside the case. "This is very good stuff," the chief technician replied. "You've been practicing this?"

"I guess I'm a quick learner," the kid smiled.

"You sure are. This is excellent. Great work, Tails."

"Thanks." His smile grew wider.

Rotor checked over the circuitry a second time. "Hey, go get the work binder. I want to record this. This is the best work I've seen anyone do."

The fox hopped off the chair. "Except you."

"Well, this is almost better than some of my stuff, actually. Certainly better than I was at your age."

Tails smiled all the way to the bookshelf. That was where Rotor kept his manuals, his papers, his blueprints, his folders, and his schematics, in more or less proper order. The kid had actually spent an afternoon not too long ago attempting to organize them into something more manageable, but that hadn't lasted long. The camp technician just seemed to have a penchant for tossing things about aimlessly, resulting in a somewhat untidy work environment.

He didn't mind it, though. To him, the workshop was like a second home. It just wouldn't be the same if everything was neat and put away. Tails crouched down and ran his hand along the bindings of the red-colored folders occupying the bottom shelf. Those were Rotor's work binders, where he recorded all the major projects going on in the workshop on any given day. There were at least a dozen of them, all lined up neatly in a row, one of the few areas that had survived Tails' categorization.

"Which one do you want, Rotor?" he called back.

"Um, the hardware log."

"Okay." His fingers brushed against the labels on the backs of the binders, one by one. Which one was the hardware log? The labels were a little hard to read.

"Problem, Tails?"

"Um... no," he replied uneasily. "What happened to the words on these?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He squinted. "They're fuzzy."

"Tails, it's the third one from the left. I can see that from here."

Rotor watched warily as the fox took the binder from the shelf and brought it over, setting on the bench carefully, a bewildered look in his eyes. "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah..." he replied quietly, sitting back in the chair, staring at the floor.

Rotor sat in a chair across the table from him. The book sat untended. "I think we need to get your eyes checked out."

"Y-yeah," the kid nodded quickly.

"Have you ever had trouble seeing before?"

"Not really. But I use those goggles most of the time. That helps a little."

"You told me you've been getting headaches sometimes, too."

"Uh-huh."

"Hey," he reached out to put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "It's nothing to be worried about. We'll see what Doctor Draftwood has to say, all right?"

"Okay..."

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

The sudden rush of air and subsequent slamming of a door were accompanied by Sonic's frantic cries, "Sal, you've gotta _save me_!"

Princess Sally Acorn smiled, taking her sweet time arranged the papers on her desk that got disturbed by the hedgehog's entrance into her office space. She slowly folded her hands on the desktop, then looked up to see him, back to the door, wide-eyed, breathing heavily. This wasn't the first time it had happened.

"Calm down, Sonic," she soothed.

"Calm down? _CALM DOWN?!_ That girl's a psycho-stalker!"

The squirrel chuckled and rose from her chair, the modest summer dress she had on hugging her curves wonderfully down to her knees. "She's got a crush on you. I think it's cute."

"That wouldn't be the word I'd use," he growled under his breath.

"Oh, come on, hedgehog," she crossed her arms over her chest and cantered her head to one side. "Roll with the punches once in a while. What could she possibly do to you, anyway?"

"You don't understand, Sal! She's suffocating me!"

She took a step forward. "You know she won't do anything. Besides..." -- Sally wrapped her arms around Sonic's waist and planted a passionate kiss on his lips -- "...she'd never survive the competition."

The hedgehog's body immediately relaxed, his eyelids sliding shut at her touch. "I guess not..." he breathed, his arm hugging her waist beneath her azure vest.

He could feel Sally's hands sliding up beneath his t-shirt to play along the muscles in his back. "Don't worry, dear," she whispered to him, fire dancing in her eyes. "I won't let her have you."

"Good to know," he grinned back at her. "I think you've been cooped up in this office too long, babe."

"You think so?"

"Mm-hmm. And I know just the cure. I'm kidnapping you, let's go."

Sally raised her eyebrows amusedly. "Kidnapping me?"

"Yep. I'm taking you away, far into the woods, and I'm not letting you back until I say."

She laughed. "What about Amy?"

"What about her?"

"Aren't you afraid she'll see you?"

"I'm not afraid of that little-"

"Sooooniiiiic!! Where aaaare yooooou?"

"Oh, CRAP!" he tensed again. "There she is! What do I do?!"

She giggled, reaching up to kiss his neck. "You worry too much."

Sonic fought hard to enjoy it, but he could hear her footsteps outside the door! He couldn't get away from her, no matter how hard he tried! She was coming closer, closer... soon the door would open and-

With a force that took him completely by surprise, Sally shoved him backwards into the wall. While he was trying to regain his composure, the office door abruptly swung open, hitting him hard in the face.

"Sonic, I know you're... Sonic? Where'd he go?"

"He's not here, Amy," Sally answered casually, straightening some papers on her desk. "And I'd appreciate you knocking before barging into my office again."

Amy swallowed nervously. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry."

"You're forgiven. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Yes, ma'am," she said meekly, and quickly left, closing the door behind her.

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

"How bout now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Well, when then?"

"Later."

"How much later?"

"Lots of later."

"Like, now later?"

The birds sang in the trees above, the sunlight streaming down through the canopy to fleck shadows on the ground below. The two young canines made their ways along the path, the one in the lead peering through a set of binoculars and the other irritating him to no avail.

"C'mon, why not?"

"Cuz I'm in charge, and I'm usin' em!"

Cruiser growled, crossed his arms over his chest, and _glared_. Chip always got to be in charge; it wasn't fair. Just because he was older. And more mature. And better skilled. And actually knew what he was doing. Cruiser picked a short stick off the ground and debated over which end was better suited for butt-poking.

Chip led them out of the tree line and to the edge of the lookout cliff, used regularly by guards and recon personnel from Knothole to quickly assess anything happening in the surrounding areas. The leader put his foot on a boulder at the edge of the precipice, raising the binoculars to his eyes again and striking a dramatic pose. Behind him, Cruiser sulked.

"Nothing too out of the ordinary..." Chip mused to himself, but loud enough that the other could hear.

"So... can I have 'em now?"

"Nope."

"Grrr..." Cruiser brandished his stick and moved in for the kill.

"...HOLY COW, WHAT'S THAT?!?!"

"WAHH!" Cruiser fell backwards at the sudden proclamation, and landed on his bum. "What, what is it?"

"I don't know. Something... _strange._"

"Ooh, dramatic."

"Darn right, dramatic," Chip grinned. Now let's get down there and see what it is!"

"But... it's all the way down the cliff. How are we going to-"

"Don't be a wussy now!" Chip shouted, grabbing Cruiser by both arms and flinging him over the cliff's edge, before jumping down himself.

Cruiser's rolling descent down the rocky incline sounded something like this: "Aaaaaah! Oof! Ow! Owie! This- ow! Wasn't- gah! Your best- Rk! Idea- SPLAT."

Chip slid down next to him with style. "Oh, c'mon, you'll thank me later. It beats having to find a trail, don't it?"

Cruiser groaned in pain. "If I could move my shattered body, I would kill you."

"Glad to hear it! Now, let's go find those whatevers I saw before."

From the base of the slope it was only a dozen meters or so to where Chip had seen the strange objects through the binoculars. When they came to the site, they saw a large number of the trees and been cut down -- or maybe, torn up? -- and oddly-shaped metallic fragments littered the area.

"This looks important," Chip stated. "Let's split up and look for clues of some kind."

"Fine," Cruiser answered shortly and scampered off to the opposite side of the clearing, to get as far away from his cousin as possible. He found a piece of metal sticking out of the ground and kicked it noncommittally. _Stupid Chip with his stupid...ness.__ I'll show him..._

He reached down to pluck the razor-sharp edge from the dirt, his highly combat-calculative mind working through logistics. _Range to target... seven-point-two-three meters. Elevation difference... negligible. Wind speed and direction... from the north-north-west and three miles an hour. Boo yah, baby._

_"CRUISER!"___

"AH! What?"

"You're not thinking of throwing that razor-sharp piece of metal at me, are you?"

"Um. No?"

"Good. Now get back to work and look for stuff."

Cruiser slowly lowered himself to the ground, fists pulling at his hair. So close... He was so close... Hey, what's that?

The pup knelt down on all fours to examine the small chunk of steel half-buried in the dirt. There was something on it, a label, maybe? Or a decal? He started digging with his front paws, trying to get as much of the shard uncovered as he could. There was something there, but it was hard to make out...

Roe-something? Robe? It was really faded. Ro, Rob, Robor, Robot, Robie... Robotnik? Yeah, it might say Robotnik. But why would Robotnik's name be on this piece of metal? Hmm... Ooh, Robotnik made metally things; maybe this metal used to be part of something Robotnik made, and that got destroyed, and now the metal is all over the place. But why would...

Cruiser shrugged it off, got up and walked away. Whatever it was, he was sure it didn't have anything to do with anything.

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

Amy had given up looking for Sonic after Sally had shooed her out of her office. Eventually she realized that he had somehow vanished, and was no where to be found in the camp. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't stop her, but she had let the game go on for quite some time that morning, and decided to give her darling hedgehog a moment of peace, however small it turned out to be.

She was returning from a short walk out in the forest when she saw Tails coming out of Doctor Draftwood's hut and hurrying over to his workshop in the garage. Of all the people she had gotten to know over the past year, she had to admit that Tails was probably the one she knew the least. Sure, he was always kind and cheerful when she talked to him, but he always seemed so busy with his projects, or whatever it was exactly he did in that workshop of his.

Amy crossed the compound with a mischievous grin on her face. If she couldn't have fun with Sonic, she would have to settle for his little friend. Everyone in Knothole knew how close the two of them were; maybe if she went through Tails she could get some more leverage to use when she located Sonic again.

The girl entered the large warehouse-type building cautiously. She had never been inside it, and really didn't know what to expect. All the overhead lights were off, and the only illumination came from over by the desk/workbench area. She started over, calling out his name meekly.

And first she got no response, but her persistence soon paid off. She heard his young voice calling back, tinged with something like anger. She located him lying on his back under the wing of his plane -- the _Tornado_ or something she remembered it was called -- sticking a wrench into a hatch there with intention.

"Um, hey Tails."

"Hey," he replied shortly and kept working.

"What are you working on?"

The wrench stopped moving. "Amy, is there something you want?"

The sudden force in his voice caused her to take a step back. "I... Well, I just..."

"If this is about Sonic, he's not here, and I don't know where he is."

She found herself flustered for a moment. "Actually, I... came to talk to you..."

He finally sat up to look at her. "What?"

It was now that Amy saw what seemed to be what was making Tails act so strangely. What she had taken at first to be some kind of working goggles when she came in she now saw to be a pair of glasses framing his bright, young eyes. "Oh... you have..."

"Yeah," he answered softly, looking down at the floor. "Glasses, I know, they're dumb."

"They're not dumb," she replied quickly. "Why do you think that?"

"They just are..."

"They're not," Amy shook her head. "I think they look kinda cute."

He looked up at her hesitantly through the lenses. "You think so?"

She nodded and smiled brightly. Amy had the kind of smile that could light up a room, and it did wonders in the darkness of the garage.

Tails smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now, show me what you're working on."

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

The meeting hut hadn't been used in the past couple weeks, on account of large-scale field missions being unneeded for the moment. Sally wouldn't say she missed standing up in front and addressing an operations team, what with all the other work she had to do; but she was pleased that the camp was still running smoothly enough that she could get a mission plan drawn up and a team assembled in not much time. She took a deep breath and smiled, doing her best to hide her weariness. How long had it been since she'd slept...?

She remembered in years past, a mission didn't need much thought in the way of team planning; it had usually been her, Sonic, Antoine, and Georgia. Now that they had more field agents, however, she could do more in the way of team building, and choosing people whose skills worked well together. The four-person team for this mission was certainly a new experiment, at least for her. But the mission wasn't overly difficult... at least, she hoped that would be the case.

"To summarize," she started, putting on her professionalism for the first time that day, "a recent recon report has discovered traces of vehicle wreckage about a kilometer away from camp; evidence suggests that it belonged to Robotnik. There wasn't nearly enough shrapnel to warrant the vehicle being destroyed, so we need you to asses what damage has been done, whether the craft is salvageable, or if any of the components inside can be recovered."

From her seat up front, Georgia chuckled. "So, we're a lootin' team."

"In a sense."

She grinned. "Sounds like fun."

Sally nodded and smiled. Georgia would be the leader of the team, since she obviously had the most field experience. Stealth was her expertise, which would make the mission easier, if the "mystery craft" was what she hypothesized it to be. There were some details about the plan she didn't feel comfortable telling them all, not until she got confirmation.

"Is there anything else we have to do once we get there? Like rescue survivors or anything?" It was Antipode, 19 years old, been working as a field agent for the past year, but was still a little green. He had met with trouble fitting in when he first came, mostly due to Sonic's being suspicious of him, due to a coincidence and a flawed hunch, but that had been straightened out quickly. He had shown himself to be an exceptional stealth agent, and his inclusion in the team had not been an accident.

"There won't be any," he replied resolutely. "The crash doesn't appear to be recent, and Robotnik doesn't use anything but robots, anyway."

"But what if there is?" asked a wide-eyed voice from the front row. "What if it isn't Robotnik?" This was Joie, a tribal fur a couple years younger than she, who had come to Knothole when en route to find the rest of her clan. She had taken use of their communication equipment to contact them, but wasn't sure how long it would take to reach them. She decided to make herself useful while waiting for a reply, and joined their ops team.

Sally did her best not be appear skeptical. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what if it was someone who got attacked by Robotnik? A little bit of metal doesn't mean everything."

"You do have a point. But, that's why you're going. If there are people still there, you know what to do." Sally's gaze wandered the room as she finished up, falling finally on the young woman seating farthest back, directly behind Antipode. She had the sort of distant look in her green eyes that showed she might be listening, but had a lot more on their mind. Her jet-black hair was slightly askew, which was something she had never seen in Jewel before. She looked up momentarily, and her eyes locked with Sally's, for just a moment, and the other was able to see the weariness there, surrounding the usual fire she always had. She questioned for just a moment whether putting her on the team was a bad idea, but quickly dismissed it. Jewel had yet to disappoint.

Sally spouted something as a closing; she didn't really remember what it was, later on, probably one of the generic "good luck, troops" phrases she had used countless times before. There was something about Jewel's eyes that just seemed to haunt her, that sucked her in and made her forget everything for a couple minutes. It was a rather strange experience, one she didn't quite understand.

She could barely recall whether or not she imagined Georgia calling out, "A'right, ya'll, mission's early in the mornin'! Go get yer shut-eye!"

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

Antipode left the briefing slowly, almost in a daze, himself nearly falling over with exhaustion. He was up early that morning for perimeter patrol; another early morning wasn't going to be easy.

He made his way across the compound and into the hut he shared with Zane. The little blighter was already curled up in his bed, snoring loudly. Antipode threw his jacket to the floor and rolled onto his cot, instantly feeling like passing out. His eyelids grew heavy, and he could feel himself drifting off.

The tingling started in his extremities, as if someone had filled the room with nitrous oxide and he was slowly breathing it in. When his half-awake mind became aware of it, he tried opening his eyes, to marginal success. Not enough moonlight could get to his eyes, so the room was still painted in dark grays and blacks. But there beside his bed was a luminous shape, casting no shadows despite glowing softly. As his eyes adjusted he could guess it was a person, a woman, standing there and smiling down at him.

She was tall and slender, an ethereal beauty seeming to radiate from her. Her fur was dark, but carried with it a sheen that set her apart from the shadows around her. Her eyes were a bright gold, and barely visible on her back were the leathery wings of a bat, or perhaps a demon, though he couldn't imagine a creature of such beauty could be of that sort.

She sat down at the edge of his bed, reaching out to caressing the side of his face with a phantomlike hand. Antipode returned her gaze with confusion in his eyes, trying to think of words to speak, but finding none.

She slid her hand over to gently cover his lips with a single pale finger. "Shh," she whispered quietly, her voice soft and soothing, "I won't hurt you... but I haven't much time..."

He finally found his voice. "Who...?"

She chuckled. "God, I never would have imagined you could look so young. Oh, me? Who am I?" She laughs, a magical sound, like wind chimes caught in a gentle spring breeze. "You'll know me... in time."

"I don't understand..."

"Some things aren't meant to be understood... until they come to pass." He falls silent, understanding neither this strange visit nor what it means.

The woman stared at him for a long while, then an almost guilty grin spread over his face, and she grasped his chin gently, her panther-like tail twitching excitedly. "I suppose... no one would fault me for stealing just one kiss... now, would they?"

Antipode's eyes grew two sizes. "Wh-what?"

She chuckled and lowered her head, pressing her lips firmly against his. His eyelids slid closed, and a strange tingling spread through his body. When she finally released him and he opened his eyes, he found himself on a pier on the ocean, staring up into a star-studded sky.

"Where am I?" he asked nervously.

She answered, her voice without form, surrounding him. "Remember this place well, love... for you must know how to make your escape, when the time comes. Examine what you see before you."

He looked around, and sees a group of beings standing beside a building nearby. He steps forward, noticing that he is looking at merely a frozen snapshot of the world, as there are no waves on the sea, no wind, and none of the figures he saw were moving. He came closer, seeing that it is a man, surrounding by a mob dressed in dark clothing. "I see but... what am I looking at?"

"You must look at everything and nothing at the same time, for you won't remember what you still until it is time."

"What time?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

The woman suddenly appeared beside him, and the scene faded to a white sandy beach. Her wings were draped over her shoulders like a leather cloak. "I mean nothing, yet. But when it happens, it will mean everything to _you_."

A million questions were running through his mind, and he suddenly felt very alone. "I don't understand... Why show me this?"

"To save you."

"Save me? From what?"

"It is not yet time for you to know."

"Then why... why tell me at all?"

"Because it must be known at the time it will be needed to be known."

He perked an eyebrow. "That doesn't... make any sense..."

"Things seldom make sense when one doesn't have the experiences to understand them."

Antipode was getting tired of arguing over riddles. "Yeah... I guess not."

"My time is up... I must go."

"Wait, go? Who are you? You never answered my question..."

She looked up at him again, smiling gently as her golden eyes flared slightly. "I am but a shade of your future... and the night of your past..."

"None of this makes sense..."

"It will eventually, love."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

She stepped forward with another wind chime laugh, taking him and kissing him again on the lips. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan and close his eyes. It felt so wonderful... Her touch slowly faded, a deep calm coming over him, he imagined a scent like rose petals...

"Antipode! You slacker, get outta bed!"

"Wha?"

"You're gonna be late for the mission, ya moron!" Zane chittered ecstatically. "Get goin'!"

He sat bolt upright, amazed that sunlight was already coming through the window. Was that a dream? Had he really been that out of it to not notice that morning came? Pushing the thoughts aside, he forced himself to get out of bed, snatching his jacket from the floor and running to the equipment shed.

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

The journey through the forest to the crash site was long and uneventful, giving Antipode plenty of time to think. He still didn't understand what his dream last night had meant -- if in fact a dream it was -- or if it meant nothing at all. And the woman baffled him as well; it didn't seem anything like a fantasy, or a product of his own mind, but what it was exactly, he wasn't sure.

"You have weariness in your eyes," Jewel spoke quietly from beside him.

He sighed, staring at the ground as he walked. "I haven't been getting any sleep. Weird dreams last night, too."

"Weird dream?" she echoed, looking at him quizzically.

"I dunno... things that just don't make sense, ya know?"

"I understand what that's like."

"Ya do?"

"Mm-hmm. I often have dreams like that. I usually don't realise the meaning until I meditate on what I saw."

"And what is it usually?"

"A Glimpse," she answered cryptically.

"Of what, exactly?"

"The future... or the past."

"Yeah, that's what she said, that it would help me later."

She stared at him. "Who said?"

"This woman... in my dream."

"An entity gave you specific information?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so."

Jewel nodded sagely. "Then it was most certainly a premonition."

He raised his eyebrows. "What? Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would I get some... _premonition_?"

She shook her head. "Don't ask 'why'! Just do what the entity told you and use the information you got!"

"But I didn't _understand_ the information I got..."

"That's why you have to remember it, so when the time is right it will make sense to you."

"Ugh... paranormal crap like this makes my head hurt..."

Jewel chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

"What do you mean, 'used to it'?"

"Well, if it happened once... odds are, it'll happen again."

"So I'm going to get _more_ of these crazy things? Great."

She chuckled again and smiled. As far as Antipode knew, he was the only one she would smile around. "I said it was possible, not definite. Just don't bugger out if you do."

He could do nothing but let out a long sigh.

They had taken the long way to the base of the slope, and were now standing in the field littered with metallic debris. Georgia and Joie set about in a short examination of the site, but Antipode could do little but stand and stare at the ground. Jewel pretended to work, while still keeping a mental eye on him.

It didn't take long for Georgia to figure out that the metal shards were not part of a debris trail, at least not from the craft impacting the ground. They were merely parts that had broken off, and had fallen to the ground as the craft descended. _Just like Sally-girl said,_ the rabbit mused to herself. Some simple field tests let them extrapolate some rough coordinates, and they set off again into the forest.

It was some time later before they even realized the trees changing subtlety around them. They were gradually growing more burnt and charred, as if a great heat source had passed through them and gently scorched their trunks. The group kept going, and were able make out the scoring along the ground that marked where the vehicle had run aground. The grooves became deeper, until they became a distinct trench leading to...

"There it is, y'all..."

Georgia was in front, so she saw it first: the massive personnel carrier slammed into the face of a cliff ahead. Nearly half of the starboard bulkhead was sheared away, leaving spots where the inner decks were clearly visible. It was a gigantic metallic structure, that contrasted sharply with the lush foliage of the forest around it. The rest of the team came up behind her and examined the sight before them.

"This is the transport?" Joie asked, with wonder in her voice.

"The monster transport," Georgia replied. This is the _Fortress_, Robotnik's main flagship..."

Antipode blinked. "Didn't Sonic bring it down last year?"

She nodded. "I guess this's where it landed. All right, here's what we're doin'..."

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

Antipode's fingers flew over the keys at the console, accessing the main database records and winding his virtual paths through the system. They had gotten into the _Fortress_ easy enough -- they didn't keep Rotor's old fireweed bombs as standard field equipment for nothing, after all -- and had found the place virtually deserted. They had made their way unhindered to what they found to be a data control room, where the echidna swiftly set to work.

Oddly enough, they had found that he was the member of the team that possessed to greatest skill with computers, which meant that it was he who would have to hack into the craft's memory and get details on what happened after the _Death Orb_ incinerated. They had brought along a portable data store; this he had already plugged into the computer and prepped for download. He entered the command to start the transfer process, then sat back in the chair and stretched.

"That should do it. Our part of the job is done."

There was no reply, and he swiveled in his chair to see Jewel seated on the decking with her eyes closed, legs crossed and hands on her knees. The glow from the lamp beside her cast half of her face in shadow.

"What are you doing?"

Her mouth moved slowly. "Meditating."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I don't need complete silence. Talk away."

"Um, okay... Why do you meditate? Is it like sleeping?"

"In a way. But, while sleeping helps recover your physical energy, meditating recovers your mental energy. Watch." The lantern beside her slowly lifted off the floor, about a meter, then back down.

Antipode blinked. "Wow. You can do then while you're meditating?"

She smiled. "I can do that all the time. But that's what uses energy. This helps fight that."

"Oh, cool," he chuckled. "Maybe I should learn how to do that."

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

The other half of the team had set off into the craft to see if the extent of the damage had spared any salvageable components. The power was off, so they navigated by means of small wrist-mounted spotlights from their field kits.

"It's quiet," Joie commented as she looked around.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Georgia replied.

They reached an intersection, the corridor splitting off into three other directions into the darkness. The rabbit sighed. "You stay here, I'll scout ahead, a'right?"

"Fine with me," the tigress answered neutrally. "I can handle myself."

Georgia smirked, then started cautiously down the middle passage. It kept going for a good distance, ending at two large double doors, labeled as a storage room. She took some firebombs out of her pack, tossing one at the door with enough force to melt away the metal, allowing her entry.

The chamber was completely dark, as well as the rest of the ship. She shone her light into the room, the spot of light shining on generic overturned computer equipment, most ripped from the wall and all destroyed. There was barely enough room between the piles to walk.

Georgia stepped cautiously into the room, casting her light about to get a decent view of her surroundings. There was something strange about the room, something that made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Well, well... if it isn't the cyborg..."

She turned quickly, angling her lamp into a corner of the room. There was a chair, almost built like a throne, though no where near as ornate. And seated there, large a dark red-eyed shadow, was the one man she prayed would never cross her path. At the sight of him a deep primal anger welled up within her, and her brow lowered into a dangerous scowl. "You..."

He didn't rise, but seemed to grow larger just the same, filling her field of vision. "Yes. Me. It's been so long..."

Iciness filled her voice. "What do you want now, Robotnik?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, invading my fortress like you have."

"It's no business t'you!" she clenched her fist. "We should be able to go wherever we want, not be afraid b'cause of some overweight dictator who sits in a chair all day and destroys people's lives!"

"My, what harsh words. Certainly you can't be referring to anything _specific_ now, could you?" His moustache curled upwards as he grinned in the darkness.

"Seven years..." she spoke quietly, her fist trembling in quiet rage. "_Seven years,_ Robotnik! That's what you stole from me with your damned Roboticizor!"

"_Only_ seven? I would have sworn our time together was longer..."

"Stop makin' it sound like we were workin' together! I hated you... I despised you with every fiber of my being. My _organic_ being! The thing you tried to steal from me!"

"Oh, but we were working together... Thanks to you, I had all the information I needed regarding your secret operation..."

"Wha... what're you talkin' about?"

Her mind raced back to two years ago, under Doctor Draftwood's monitoring devices. It had been just a routine check-up, until Rotor came in... _"We detected some signals, electrical signals, being sent when I was doing the scan... I found a transmitter..."_

"You... you made me a _spy_?"

"A rather effective one at that, I might add," he gesticulated with his robotic left arm. "Complete audio/visual transmission. I myself was impressed at what I had done, at first."

Any inflammatory remark she might have made was swallowed in pure disbelief.

"I had been keeping my eye on you for some time. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I stopping getting telemetry from you."

Her rampant shock now gave way again to unbridled anger. "Damn you, Robotnik... _Damn you!_"

"Oh, you animals, and your illogical behavior. I gave you strength beyond that of any of your peers. I made you a higher form of life."

"You _violated_ me!"

"Of course I did. I had to; you never would have done it willingly. How else would I have executed my experiment?"

"Experiment? _Experiment?!_"

"Yes," he replied calmly, which did more to excite her anger than any yelling he could have done. "If it would have continued, I would have had further use for you, of course, but you inevitably chose against that."

She hit the breaking point. How dare this devil do this, to her, to everyone she knew. She took a step back, her eyes burning with anger and hot tears. "Let's get one thing straight, Robotnik," she sneered, cocking her arm back, "I ain't yer bitch."

She threw, the fireweed grenade lobbing in a graceful arc toward the throne. It exploded as it landed neatly in Robotnik's lap, the orange cloud of acidic gas slowly spreading. She watched for a moment, then turned and left back out into the hall. It was only a moment before she heard his anguished screaming, and she smiled.

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

"So that's what this does," Amy turned the small gadget over in her hands.

"Yeah, kind of surprising, for something that small," Tails replied, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. "But it gets the job done!"

"And that's how you're always able to find them?"

Tails was about to answer, but was interrupted by a rather loud entry from the side door. "Hey, little bro, where y'at?"

"Oh, hey Sonic, over here!" Tails waved him over.

"What's goin' on in her? You've been boarded up in this place all day!"

"Heh, yeah. I was just showing Amy all the stuff in here. She likes the Geiger counter."

"Oh...Wait, Amy?! Um, I gotta go... do something," Sonic looked as if he were about to bolt.

"I'm not going to chase you, Sonic," Amy replied casually, still playing with the device.

"You...what?" Sonic raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head slightly. "I've given up on you, Sonic. Besides, it's more fun hanging out with Tails than chasing you around, anyway."

"Oh...kay," Sonic looked relieved, yet somehow he was disappointed. Had he gotten used to Amy chasing after him day after day? Was he enjoying it? No, he dismissed it and went back to being relieved.

"Okay, then, I'll see you guys later, I guess," Sonic left the garage, in disbelief and relief.

Amy looked over at the fox, smiling sweetly. "Now, Tails, what were you saying?"

And they continued talking again as if Sonic had never interrupted.

-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-

MRU-27 slowly rolled through the darkened corridors of the _Fortress_, holding a small disk in its retractable pincer. It had been 'sent' by the central command unit to retrieve the data, since an anomaly in the data network prevented the information from being transmitted electronically. Robots had no sense of urgency, of course, but the CCU had designated this a maximum threat, and several of 27's peers were out on similar missions at the moment, as well.

The medical unit slid quietly through the large double doors of the starboard storage facility, joining another group of robots huddled around an examination table. There was only one organic being they were programmed to instantly recognize, and this his him, though 27's recognition routines almost didn't. When the medical units were notified due to an irregularity in the Master's bio-rhythms, they had found him in a damaged state, and instantly queried the CCU for a course of action.

There was little they could do, though, for as robots their powers were limited, and didn't include the capacity to reattach prosthetics and internal organics. What they found, however, was utterly illogical. His flesh was already regenerating. They constantly examined him, sending data to the CCU, but there was inconclusive information on which to base any hypothesis.

MRU-01 reached down with a claw to take 27's data disc, feeding it into an uplink terminal. It was a bio-scan comparing the Master's life-signatures before and after he disappeared into the Void. The records showed that when he returned, his genetic makeup was somehow altered. At the time there didn't seem to be any effects from this mutation, but now it was becoming clear, as his body was gradually re-growing.

If it were capable of it, MRU-27 would have been overjoyed. The Master would soon return to them.

::END OF CHAPTER::

* * *

MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Insert Header

Hopefully no one's setting their clocks by how often I update.

I'm gonna level with ya, because I feel like it. Writing is getting hard for me. Really hard, like I have to sit down and force myself to put the words into the computer and finally finish chapters. Add to that two jobs, and school, and you start to understand why it takes two-plus months for me to finish a chapter, especially when it's not my top priority most of the time. Stack on top of that people like "Spawn of 84" who derives joy from spamming my review box with pointless messages, and some days I don't want to write anything.

Next chapter I'm going to try something different, a different style that I like more, that's easier to write, and that will hopefully get the chapter out easier. Pray for me, guys. I don't feel good about this series anymore. But I'm not going to stop, that wouldn't be fair to all of you. Or to myself. I need to finish this. I will, I promise.

::AE::


	18. 3240, Day 243 : TIME Part 1, Paradigm

09 /30 /04

.  


_Antipode Evangel_

_presents  
_

.  


**Paradigm**

.**  
**

**TIME**

**Part 1**

.  


_Disclaimer_

Story (c) 2004 by the author, set in the world of "Freedom Fighters of Mobius," by Antipode Evangel. Based on situations and elements created by Service Games (SEGA), DiC Productions, and Archie Publications. Characters originally based on personalities created by SEGA, DiC, and/or Archie Comics, but modified heavily by the author. This is a work of fanfiction, meant only to entertain the readers and to contribute to the mythos of the source material. The author in no way benefits financially from this work.

* * *

This episode loosely based on Sonic CD, (c) SEGA, for the SegaCD.

Also contains elements from Sonic Adventure, (c) SEGA, for the Sega Dreamcast.

* * *

Modified personalities include, but are not limited to: Sonic, Sally Acorn, Tails, Amy Rose, and Nicole; derived from their respective canon characters, but under jurisdiction by the author.

* * *

.

Hey.

How's it going? I'd like to tell a story, if I could. And you're here, so you might as well listen, right? Don't worry, it's not long. Well, it is, but I'll try to make it as painless as possible. You've got time, right?

Heh, "time"... You could say that's what this story is about. I suppose there's not too many peeps that can say they've done any time-hopping recently. I can, unfortunately. I don't intend to repeat the process either, it's a pain in the brain.

So, where to start? The thing about stories is you need a really good beginning to get people interested. I suppose mine starts with... making out in the woods. Eh? _EH??_ How's that for a beginning??

Yeah, me and the most beautiful girl on Mobius, Princess Sally Alicia Acorn. Just thinking about her makes me crazy. So, anyway, there we were, amusing ourselves in the forest away from camp, heh heh. I could get off on another tangent here, but you wouldn't want that, would ya? Let's just say it's a regular event that I steal her away from the horrors of her office.

So we make it back to Knothole, which is still pretty much the same way it was back when I took out Robotnik's _Death Orb Whatever-it-is_ about a year ago. Well, that's not entirely true, actually. There was one major, recent change that still continues to somewhat baffle me.

"Hey, Sonic!"

And there they were. Tails and Amy Rose, two of Knothole's junior members. Tails has been my best bud for pretty much ever. I've known him most of his life, and have kind of become a mentor to the little guy. Amy, on the other hand... Well, I haven't quite figured her out yet. When I first met her she seemed to have nothing on her mind but chasing me around everywhere, which got pretty annoying, pretty quickly. Lately, though, she's started spending all her free time with Tails. I'm still not sure whether to be relieved or concerned. Tails is still a kid (well, they both are, but Tails more), and I can't help but feel she's manipulating him somehow. Then again, she could just be a good friend who follows him around every second of the day.

I gave them a smile and a wave. "Hey, kids!"

The fox kid trotted up to me in his cute little way, his twin tails waving behind him as he ran. "Sonic, look what Amy made for me!" He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket to show a small band at his wrist, ornamented with small beads and trinkets. "It's a friendship bracelet! Ain't it nifty?" He grinned broadly.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Really cool, Little Bro."

He beamed proudly at me, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Amy and I are going down to the lake," he reported and headed for the path, but I called out to him.

"You go ahead, Amy'll be there in a sec, kay? I need to talk with her."

"Kay!" he answered and disappeared.

I turned to face her. "We gotta talk, Little Sis."

"You said that already."

I got right to the point, since I hated waiting. "You seem awfully chummy with Tails lately."

"So?" she raised an eyebrow, showing some of that spunkiness that made her so famous -- or would that be infamous? -- around Knothole. "Suddenly it's a crime to be friends with somebody?"

"I'm just sayin," I put up my hands defensively, "it's not wrong to be friends, just lookin' out for Tails, a'ight?"

She crossed her arms and sniffed. "You make it sound like I'm a crazy stalker or something."

"You are!"

She laughed and started walking away. "Only to you, Sonic."

I sighed. Amy still drove me crazy; I let it go, and headed for Sally's office.

I was intercepted by Rotor. "Hey, Sonic! I have to talk to you, if you've got a moment."

"Sure, Rote, what about?" I answered, following him back to the lab.

"I've been looking over the artifacts you recovered from the Fortification..."

"Again?"

"...and I need a hand setting up an experiment I want to do. I'd ask Tails, but-"

"Yeah, I know, Amy."

"So... can I have a hand?"

"Yeah, no problem."

I followed him over to the lab. The place was a mess, as usual. The main worktable in the middle of the room had been kind of cleared off, and the weird little statues or whatever that I found at Emerald Hill were set up on it, along with a bunch of Rotor's tools.

"So, what's this 'experiment,' Rote?"

He went over and sat in a chair while he was talking. "Well, lately I've been trying to figure out what the heck these things do, you know? Because they're not just regular statues, that's obvious. Each of them seems to be a tool of some sort, but without a power source, I've been unable to find out what kind."

"Power source?" I thought for a moment, then laughed, picking up one of the golden rings on the table. "What about these things? They were all over the dang place, and they seemed to run everything else."

Rotor nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought, too. But there's nowhere to put a power ring anywhere in them. I was kind of wondering if you saw any other batteries or generators when you were in the catacombs that could be what we need."

I shook my head. "No dice, buddy. Those rings were the only thing I saw that ran anything."

He growled with disgust. "Well, thanks anyway. The only other option would be to grind up a ring into powder and try it that way. Those things are filled with energy, I just have to figure out how to use it."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can _do_ that?"

"I sure hope so. Or these possibly-mystic artifacts become useless knick-knacks."

"Any idea what they could even be?"

Rotor sighed. "Not really. But I should find out as soon as possible. Go get Tails for me, will ya? I'll need his help with this."

I nodded and headed outside, just as Tails and Amy were coming back to camp. I called him over and told him what was going on. "No problem," he answered when I was done. "Be back in a second, Amy."

"Okay, Tails," she smiled sweetly, casting a glance at me to see if I was annoyed. I was.

I was about to go off on her again when I noticed Tails out of the corner of my eye. He had taken one step and stopped, his ears twitching. "You... hear that?"

I looked through the trees, straining my ears. "Your ears have always been better than mine, T2. What is it?"

"Sumthin... high-pitched whirring..." His face bore an expression of deep concentration.

I hummed to myself a little as I listened, but still couldn't make anything out. "Maybe it's coming from Rotor's."

"Yeah, maybe," he replied distractedly, taking a hesitant step forward.

"I'm sure it's nothing," I assured him, and he slowly continued to the tech hut.

That's when all hell broke loose. The missile ripped through the forest canopy at the edge of the clearing, heading straight for the center of the camp. I shouted a warning and hit the ground, instinctively covering Amy with my body (after all, as much as she annoyed me, it was my job to keep everyone safe). The impact through dirt and debris into the air, making a neat, new crater where our warning bell used to be.

I checked to see if Amy was okay before getting up and ordering everyone still out in the open to seek cover immediately. I didn't know what the hell was going on, but I knew enough not to stand in a clearing when someone's shooting. One of the sleeping huts was closest to my position, and I told Amy to get inside. There was only one thought on my mind then: _Sally._ I turned to face her office, now hearing the high-pitched screaming of another missile entering the camp, this one headed straight for Rotor's hut. I screamed at Tails, but he already saw it. He dove away from the building as the missile impacted, detonating and replacing the laboratory with a rapidly-expanding ball of fire.

"DAMMIT!" I screamed and ran for Sally's office, hearing the sounds of confusion and fear from all around me. I reached the steps just as the door opened, and Sally called out to me, "Sonic, what's going on?"

I didn't have time to reply, because the missiles kept coming, this one firing straight for me and Sally. She couldn't see it from the doorway, but I could see it fine. I shouted at her to get down, but it was too late. The deadly projectile ripped into her office, detonating on impact and throwing lethal debris out in all directions, one large piece connecting squarely into Sally's back and knocking her down the steps, and into my arms.

I was thrown to the ground, but was able to catch her enough to break her fall. I held her close as the dirt and wood splinters rained down around us, and I looked up into her eyes, her face dirty and her eyes wet with pained tears. "Are you okay, Sally?" I asked quietly.

"It hurts," she managed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I can't feel my legs..."

"Tails!" I heard Amy shout from behind me, and I mentally kicked myself for not making sure the little girl didn't get to cover. She was out and running through the courtyard to where Tails had dropped.

I ignored them for now and helped Sally up. "Can you move at all, babe?" I asked, draping her arm over my shoulder.

She tried, but nothing moved. She tried answering me, but was choked with more tears. "It's okay," I soothed, moving to get her to safety. But, _what_ safety? I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then realized the missiles had stopped. I heard another whirring from above, though, probably what Tails had heard before. I looked up... and my jaw dropped open.

It was an assault bot, one like I had never seen before. It was constructed to be similar in structure to a Mobian, but with armored plates barely covering a solid metallic skeleton. It's left hand was a vicious-looking claw, and its right was a massive trap-like capture device. It floated into the clearing on what seemed to be jump jets of some kind, scanning the camp with smoldering red eyes set into its skull. I quickly hurried to get Sally behind the burning wreckage of what used to be her office, gently setting her down. I rose to leave, but she gripped by hand tightly, even though she was shaking. "Don't leave me..."

"I'm sorry, babe," I leaned down to kiss her on the mouth. "Stay here."

She reluctantly released my hand, and I peeked behind the rubble so I could barely see the attack bot slowly looking over the clearing, obviously searching for something. It eventually came to rest on Tails and Amy, still standing vulnerable in the middle of the clearing. It reached out a metallic claw and started floating toward them, a speaker at its "mouth" saying something about "DNA match confirmed, commencing capture."

That was the last I could take. No stupid robot attacks Sonic's friends and gets away with it. I ran out from my hiding place, all ready to challenge this tin can and rip it to scrap. It must have taken this as a threat, because it moved in for the kill -- ouch, sorry, bad choice of words. As it was getting close, Tails stepped between it and Amy, the brave little guy, but was easily knocked aside, and the bot swung its other arm around in one swift motion to wrap its larger capture claws around Amy's torso.

I ran toward it, all ready to bust its head in. It merely turned to look at me, then blasted off again, low to the ground and straight into the woods. I chased after it, fast enough to be able to keep the distance between us to a minimum. It was hovering a meter or two off the ground, crashing right through tree branches like they were paper. Amy didn't appreciate this too much, and had been screaming hysterically since it began.

If you don't know anything about jet propulsion, let me try to give you in a nutshell what Tails told me once: it may look cool, but it uses a _LOT_ of fuel. And the thing about jetpacks is that there's physically not a lot of room to put fuel. I don't know where the robot had came from, but it was then that its tank went dry. It landed heavily on the ground and started running, but I ain't seen a robot yet that could out_run_ me.

I chased it into a small clearing, where I watched it slow to a stop. "You can't run from me, bolt-bucket!" I shouted, trying to get its attention as I worked out a plan in my mind. "You're going to pay for what you did!"

If there was a way that a robotic face could have an evil look, that was it. It slowly raised its left hand toward me, and now I could see a blaster built into the palm, and it was charging. I dove to the ground as the shot sailed above my head, but it was only meant to be a diversion. When I looked up the robot had turned away and was walking into a shimmering blue field of light, that I pretty sure wasn't there before.

I scrambled to my feet and chased after it, as its metal frame sparked out of view. I leapt into the portal just as it was closing.

.

.

--

.

"Next."

The line moves, and I step forward. How long have I been here? It seems like forever. Wait, where exactly am I even? Nothing looks familiar: a line of people, two desks, a bunch of couches off to the side. People are filling out papers. Everything is white, blinding white. Oh, crap, am I dead? That's what this is, this is the line to heaven. Oh, great, just what I need.

"Next."

Another step forward. There's only two people in front of me. I wish this line was faster. Just because I'm waiting for judgment doesn't mean I want to wait long.

Why am I here? I don't remember dying. I remember... Knothole being attacked. Amy and that robot... I look around, try to find them, but there's people everywhere. Even if I could see them, I couldn't reach them fast enough.

"Next."

I watch as someone off to the side finishes a stack of papers and brings them to the other desk and drops them in a slot, then proceed to the far side of the room. I crane my neck to see what's over there, but too many people in the way. I sigh and return to watching the line crawl.

"Next."

There goes the guy in front of me. It shouldn't be long now. The man behind the desk hands him a stack of papers and starts explaining something I can't hear. Man, this is boring. I cross my arms and tap my foot against the floor. Get moving, will ya...

"Next."

Bout time. I almost shove the poor sap in front of me out of the way as I step up to the desk. The man behind it is a shortish bald human with librarian's glasses. He calmly hands a stack of forms up to me. "Fill these out and return to desk two."

For some reason I take them. "What are they for?"

The old man sighs. "These are for you to determine your destination."

"You mean I get to pick?"

The man peeks over his glasses at me. "Of course you get to pick. Did you think we forced you?"

"Uh, kinda."

"Just fill them out."

I leave and head for the couches, casting a glance down at the papers and squinting at the fine print. Crap, how many pages were there? I flip through; five. Great. Gonna be stuck in limbo for a while still.

I take a seat next to Amy and Metalhead. "You guys are here, too, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"Affirmative."

"Any idea what this is about?"

The robot points a claw above my head, not looking up from the paperwork. "That sign may yield some answers."

I look up and read. "Temporal Connection Hub?"

Amy scribbles on the paper. "I think it's for traveling or something. That's why they ask for 'destination' over here." She looks up at Metal. "Where are you taking me again?" It shows her its paper, and she copies it down.

"Uh... can I see, too? It's kinda fair, I am chasing you..."

The robot releases an electronic sigh and shows me. I quickly scribble it down. "It would be in your best interest to give me a period of time for a 'head start.'"

"Okay," I reply and add ten minutes. "Happy?"

"I have completed. Are you complete?"

Amy scribbles quickly. "Almost."

"See you guys later, I guess," I call after them and fill out another field.

"Hurry up, will ya, Sonic? You gotta rescue me still."

"I know, I know, I'm hurryin."

Amy and Metal go and put their forms on the second desk, then walk into the next room. I sigh and keep writing. To call it thorough would be an understatement. Everything from name, rank, and serial number to mother's maiden name and global coordinates of my house. I fill in all I can, then look it over, eventually reading over the destination. I don't know what it meant, since the robot must have written it in binary or something, with a date and time attached.

I go to the second desk and put my forms through the slot. There's a paper taped to the desktop telling me to go through the double doors into the next room. I do.

Even though Metal and Amy and everybody else here had been coming in here, it's nearly empty now. It's a small room, smaller than the reception area by far, and sparse of any design at all. There's a man at the front of the room, a nearly-carbon copy of Mr. Desk. I approach him and he speaks automatically. "Your primary destination has already been processed and entered."

"That was quick," I reply dryly.

He ignores my comment and holds out a pair of silvery-gray gloves. "Do you require instruction in the temporal accelerators?"

I put them on. They fit snugly, and on the wrist is a small LCD display, with a date and time, with control buttons. I smirked. "I'm not that daft, I think I can handle it."

The man nods placidly. "Very well. Good bye."

.

.

--

.

I woke up in an alley somewhere. Wasn't sure what happened, so I sat up and tried to get a view of my surroundings. The sky was clear as far as I could see, and much brighter than I remember it being. I reached up to feel my aching head, and saw a pair of silver gloves on my hands. Where'd I get those?

I crept to the mouth of the alley carefully, not knowing where the heck I was or what deep crap I could be in. The street outside was a waterfront of some kind, or at least a sidewalk at the edge of a river. There didn't seem to be anyone around, so I ventured out farther. The "river" was actually an artificial canal that separated this sidewalk from another one on the other side. I looked up and down the street, seeing that the path curved slightly, and was roughly circular. On the other side the entire city was raised, almost a full meter, and another inward section beyond was raised another meter above that, and so on, until the central point was also the highest. At that point was what looked like a temple, extravagantly built, obviously elevated like it was to promote an air of reverence.

Still no one around. Where were all the people? I walked slowly down the sidewalk, to the right, looking around for any signs of life. The buildings to my right, across from the canal, were shops and homes, but again without people in them. It was strange: an entire city without citizens.

I reached a bridge that went up to the higher level across the water, and I crossed it. At either side of the bridge was a spillway that poured out water into the canal. The only landmark of any note was that temple; that was probably where all the water was coming from, and a good place to start looking for both the inhabitants of the city and for Metal and Amy. I stopped a moment to listen as I reached the other side, imagining the faint whisper of voices, but it was nothing. There was only the soft lapping of the water against the stone, the whistle of the wind. It was strange not hearing sounds of wildlife I was so used to from my life at Knothole; here there wasn't even the creaking of tree branches or the songs of birds.

Up one circular level, then another, then another without hearing anyone. Then as I reached the temple at the top of the city, there came a soft voice to my ears. It was a girl, I guessed, singing gently in a language I had never heard before. The only way into the temple building was a steep stone staircase that ascended into it; I climbed it quickly. The place was a lot bigger than it looked at first on the ground. As I reached the top step, I turned to take in the city I had left behind. The entire place was circular, each of the levels a circle, and each inner circle gradually higher. It was an astounding feat of architecture, in my opinion.

Anyway, I went into the temple and tried to find the girl the voice belonged to, only to find that the temple itself was a mike... microz.... dang, what was that word...? It was like the city outside, only smaller. Except instead of canals it was silk curtains that separated each of the layers from each other. Small streams of water trickled along the cobblestones on their way to the edge of the temple, where it would spill down into the canals below. I stepped over them and through the gaps in the drapes until I got inside.

At the very core of the temple there was a well, where all the water was being pumped from. And there she was, unlike anything I had ever seen before. She had long blue hair that was spread out behind her, and she was sitting at the edge of the well, looking down into it and singing a melody that spread through the air like a beautiful breeze. I approached slowly and reverently, and she turned to look at me, her eyes sparkling like sapphires. It forced me to stop and stare at her for a moment; there was something... _ethereal_ in her face, something that I had never encountered before. Our eyes locked, hers boring into my soul, for the longest time, before she broke away and continued to look down into the well.

I walked up behind her, wondering now what exactly she was looking at. I took a peek myself, but there was nothing inside the well but a deep dark hole, with water being pumped up and out through the walls of the machine and through the groves in the floor. Like usual, I said the first thing on my mind: "Where is everybody?"

She turned to look at me again, slower this time, and her eyes betrayed a hint of sadness. The thought flashed through my mind that maybe she didn't understand me, but then she answered, her voice still ringing in my ears with the same mystical quality as when she sang. "They are gone, Outsider."

"Gone," I remembered saying, but my mind was wavering at the time. "Where did they go?"

"Away..." she sighed sadly, staring down into the well.

There a moment of silence, before: "Who are you?"

"I am the Guardian of the city. Though that means little now."

"Why are you still here then? Shouldn't you try to find everybody?"

"I am bound to this place... There is no where to go now, but back to where I came from..."

"And where's that?" I followed her gaze and started to piece things together. "Oh..."

"The city no longer needs me. Soon I will be no more."

I didn't really understand any of this, but I played along in the hopes that it would make sense later. "You're from... the ocean?" She looked at me again, and now the blue hair and sparkling eyes made a strange connection in my brain, one I didn't fully understand, but in my heart I knew it was true.

I sat and watched her in silence, as she stared down into the wall, then closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "There are other Outsiders in the city," she spoke quietly and looked up at me. "Have you come to siege us?"

"What? No. I'm trying to rescue one my friends. They got taken from me."

She nodded slowly. "A noble task. You will find them in the catacombs." She held out her hand, and laid in her palm were three golden rings. "These will light your way."

"Pow... power rings?" I stammered as I reached out for them. "Where'd you get these?"

"These orichalcum rings power the machinery in our city. Use them well."

Now my mind was racing. I still had no idea what this was all about, but somewhere, somehow it was starting to come together in my mind. But as in most cases, I was forced to put that aside as I dealt with the matters at hand. I grabbed the rings out of the girl's hand and sprinted for the door. Wherever those catacombs were, I had to find them quick, if Amy and Metalhead were down there, like she said.

_Oricalchum..._ the word echoed in my head. What was that, some kind of a metal or something? I looked down at the rings in my fist as I ran. Wherever I was, I guess it was where the rings came from originally, and somehow must have wound up near Knothole. After I took care of Metal maybe I could ask that girl what else she knew about them, if she was still there. There was something in her tone before that made me wonder if she thought she would be around that long.

I found what looked like a manhole and jumped in, finding myself in the sewers of the city. Most people would freak out at going down into a place like that, but for me, it wasn't the first time. I followed a channel down into the darkness, keeping my ears open for anything.

And if "anything" was an aggravated, but shrill, female scream, I certainly got it. I raced in that direction, splashing up muddy water with each impact of my sneakers against the stone. I skidded to a stop at an intersection, taking a moment to orient myself before taking off again, this time calling out, "Amy!!"

Her faint voice echoed back to me, "Sonic, _help!_"

"I'm comin, Amy, hold on!" I pushed myself faster, trying to keep my balance on the slick floor. I turned another corner and could barely make out the robot's shadow in the darkness ahead. "Get back here, Metalhead!" I screamed and sprinted toward it, teeth and fists clenched. In hindsight, I really wasn't sure what I was thinking -- acting more on instinct than anything else, as usual -- but the bot obviously knew I was coming, despite making no initial reaction.

The wind being knocked out of me from a hit to the chest was certainly a reaction, though. I sprawled to the ground, the rings the girl gave me before scattering and splattering into the murky filth. I managed to scoop them all up, but it was more than enough time for the bot to give me a swift kick in the side. I hit the pavement again, but this time I was able to get back up to fight. The thoughts flashed through my mind of when I had fought that robot back on Robotnik's battle station, and how similar this one looked to it. Of course, here there were no giant tentacles around, too.

Okay, here it gets boring so I'll skip ahead a bit. Obviously, if you've heard of me, you know how I fight, so I don't have to go into any detail about what happened next. Long-story-short, I kinda got the crap beat outta me again, so I chased Metalhead farther into the sewers. It led to what looked like an engine room underground. He flew straight toward it, pulling out these huge blades and plunging them into one of the machines. It sparked a little, then kind of melted down to nothing as the bot sucked away all its power. This was enough to jump-start Metalhead's battery, I guess, because it hovered into the air and started glowing.

I figured this was a bad development and dove for cover, as one of its missiles screamed over my head and slammed into the wall behind me. I peeked out to look for safety, and saw that it was opening another one of its glowing portals and going through it. I sprinted, launching myself into the air and making it through just as it was closing.

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--

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The gloves on my hands beep as I cross the threshold. They're working at something. I look down to see. The display is showing flashing numbers, locking into place as they find the right ones. A year, a month, a day... An hour, a minute, a second... A latitude... A longitude... A flash of light...

END OF CHAPTER

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_AN_

_I'll admit, I was being a little vague with this chapter, but if anyone doesn't get it, let me know how much to clear up in Part 2. There was more at the end, but I decided to save it for the next one. The first-person is for this two-part only; chapter 20 will return to the third-person I started with. Feedback and questions regarding the new elements in this chapter would be highly appreciated._

_BIG NEWS: Freedom Fighters of Mobius is in the running for Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfic of the Year at the Sonic Site Awards (ssa . sonicfoundation . org / site ). Voting ends the 6th of October, so get in there for me as soon as possible._

_I'm getting REALLY ticked off with FF.n's constantly-changing document manager. Every time I put up a new chapter, they've changed it in some way where I have to redo all my formatting again. Very annoying. If something's not formatted right, that's why._

_AE_


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